Thursday, September 01, 2005

Mice

Every year there are mice in the grass fields that head for shelter when the rains begin, but this year there was a veritable plague of them. They decimated fields--up to 75% of the crop in some places, and were so thick, some farmers said, you could see the grass moving eerily from the mice running through.

The rains have not begun but the mice are already looking for winter lodgings, which is why I kept a trap set under the kitchen sink.

On Wednesday of last week I checked the trap and there was a mouse, so I summoned Ben the Mouse Patrol to get rid of it. He tossed it over the fence and reset the trap.

An hour later, there was another mouse. And an hour later, another one. We caught eight before we went to bed, and at midnight I was awakened by Emily, who burst hysterically into our bedroom because a mouse was caught by the foot and was clattering around under the sink.

Ten mice in less than 24 hours, and then we left for Missouri. The kids at home caught a few more while we were gone.

Then my knights in shining armor saved the day--Matt went to Hurds Hardware and bought a can of spray foam insulation; Paul pumped it into all the holes under the sink.

No more mice. At least for now.

Quote of the Day:
"Hosht's micely kfonga?"
("Did you catch the mouse?"
--my mom, whenever we took a tumble

2 comments:

  1. Oh horrors!!!! I sure hope we don't have a whole slam of mice like we did last year!! Last night when I talk a walk in the field...eww, I sure seen some mice.

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  2. Mice in "utopia"??? This was fun to read, since it is a yearly struggle here in the "Land of Oz". Now I know not everything is perfect out there. (The summer weather sounds near perfect compared to here though)

    suzy q

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