Strange thumping...

I'm mildly freaked here. I keep hearing this sound periodically...like someone's dropping a large bundle of newspapers on our roof. THUMP!

At first I thought it might be a cat jumping from the top of my son's dresser to the floor upstairs, but a couple of thumps were much louder than that.

There's still some snow on our roof, but usually when it falls down, I'll hear a sliding sound maybe followed by a slight thump if it drops to a lower section of roof.

I've never heard this sound before; and since our house was built in the teens, and we've had problems with water in the basement, I'm concerned that this might be a symptom of some sort of serious structural problem.

Do I have reason for concern, or am I merely being paranoid?

And found out that you didn't deserve your presents. So, he is here to take them back.

Sorry

We live near the Marine Air Ground Combat Center (or some such thing) and sometimes I hear noises like that.

This really sounds like house noise.

Unless the RW SWAT brigade is landing on my roof to take me away for smartmouthing Dumbyass.

it sounds like someone bouncing a basketball against the door. The base we live near is one of the largest, bigger than Rhode Island, and they don't usually fly anywhere near our house.

I got squirrels. They are all over the place here. They can be quite noisy.

but we chased them out and boarded up the attic vent, which is where they were entering.

The sound always occurs as one single thump. Comer Perro joked about Santa; but it's the sound you'd imagine Santa's sack would make as it hit the roof. A heavy, dull thump.

Large birds (owls)? Weird. I've had every North American rodent (I thought) invade my house. It must be beavers or capybaras or nutrias.

Or John Ashcroft and the Justice Department. :-)

Can they climb trees?

Do you have trees that overhang your roof, or grow close enough for squirrels to jump? Bet they're jumping on your roof...

They sound like a herd of elephants. I never thought such little critters could be so noisy.

overhanging your roof? It could be snow falling from them?

I dunno - my best thought would be to just wander through your house and try to pinpoint the sound. Check the attic etc. Since it's night, just do inside checking, I wouldn't think anything too awful could happen.

in your attic....

Does it do dishes?

Not real bright just between you and me. :)

Yell up to the noise and ask it to rap twice if it's dead and to knock three times on the ceiling if it wants you and it's alive.

Years ago I had squirrels in my attack and they did some major damage.

Nov 15, 2003, near 2 am.: "Thump ... thump ... thump... YEOOOOOW!" (repeat x 5 or so).

Nov 17, 2003: Nick runs back over the ridge line at 2100L. Loud cat scream (YEOWWWW!) and Nick come running back, shaking.

Nov 20,2003: Late afternoon on a foggy day I drive from the house via the gravel mountain road, to the mail box. Near the P____'s house a 100# or so panther crosses the road, from left to right.

thank God for small favors. I will take Panthers any day over that.

I think the culprit is our furnace.

In the middle of the night, I heard another thump, immediately followed by the furnace coming on...I hadn't noticed the furnace before because of extraneous TV/kid/pet noises. It seemed unusually loud.

The last loud thump occurred at around 7 this morning. At about 11, I realized the heat was off. I relit the pilot, and the radiators are back on. As yet, I haven't heard any thumps...

Is your briefcase missing ?

Ok, where's Oscar ?

Cheers
Drifter