Friday, February 24, 2012

I Am No Beatrix Potter

(funny story from today - and yes this one appears on two of my blogs)

This morning, while K was practicing piano, I was working on getting caught up on some business emails, I felt something tickly on my leg so I stomped my foot and felt something fall onto my foot, I flipped on the light and saw a tiny mouse scoot under the computer desk.

My first thought is I am a grown woman and do not need to make a fuss but my second thought was I would feel much better if I vented. So I started screaming and ran upstairs and woke up my husband yelling that I had a mouse in my pants. Of course, the girls were quite upset.

I went downstairs and found the sticky trap we had leftover from the chipmunk incident. That little creatures was wandering around without a care in the world, as if he didn't see me at all. If I had something, I could have caught him but he scooted when I got close to him (mice are extremely shortsighted and this one seemed especially so (Hmm...I wonder if that is the origin of the song Three Blind Mice)). I placed the trap and went upstairs.

I was in our bedroom changing when K came running in screaming that the mouse was at the bottom of the stairs. C was in the doorway at the bottom of the stairs preventing the mouse from escaping so I grabbed an empty peanut butter jar and tried to catch it but the jar was a bit small, so C got me a shoe box sized Tupperware. I managed to pin the little creature between the stair and the box and so I put the pb jar by his head and let the box go and so caught him.

He was absolutely adorable. Mice are cute - Beatrix Potter's illustrations prove it. However, unlike that fine woman, I am not interested in having one living in my house.

So we released the little guy at a nearby park and then proceeded to harass him by following him around and taking photos of him. Fortunately, I only put a 256 memory card in my camera and could only take 30 shots and was so forced to leave him alone.

I am OCD, I've washed my hands so many times today that they are drying out. :)

While I was obsessing to Tim, he asked me a simple question. "In the twelve years we have lived in this house, how many rodents have we found in it?" I replied "Two." He said, "No, three." He's right we've had a deer mouse, a chipmunk, and now this little field mouse.










10 comments:

  1. Holy Frijoles! I'm still trying to get over the fact that he crawled up your leg! How in the world did you manage to make it through the day AND make him look adorable in those photos? Eek! ☺

    ReplyDelete
  2. Isn't it amazing how often mice are featured in children's stories, rhymes and songs - my husband and I reflect on this often (although the song 3 blind mice is really kinda awful). I am so impressed with your abilities to catch this little critter, quick hand - amazing photos!

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a way to wake up the entire family.

    ReplyDelete
  4. You are a much better woman than me! There is no way I could have turned this incident into a cute, happy story!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh! He is darling! he he he ... little stinker!

    ~Liz

    ReplyDelete
  6. You are a far better woman than I. I killed the one that was in our pantry. No mercy given at all. We do have seasons here, it freezes, the leaves change, but it is hot in the summer, very hot.

    ReplyDelete
  7. You and my husband should exchange stories! He has caught and released many a mouse in the very same way you did. You are both very kind-hearted people!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Remind me to tell you about the mice in our rental house's stove someday!

    ReplyDelete
  9. He's so cute! Poor little guy just wanted to get in from the cold. Love your pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous2:04 PM

    Personally, I'm glad I only have to look at the pictures and that I didn't see the one that recently inhabited my house alive or dead! Although, I did allow two pets rats sniff my fingers over the weekend. But, they were behind bars--a good place for rodents in my opinion.

    ReplyDelete