Scrubbed one side and the stove, so we could at least make breakfast. We were meeting friends for an extended lunch/birthday thing and weren’t about to put that off to clean. We get a deer mouse or two every fall, when the weather turns cool, and it had been cool enough the week before to mimic fall. Set a trap that night, and it took less than an hour to catch a fat one. It was transported to the antipodes and told not to come back.

Now, I have an early warning system in the form of a single elbow mac, cleverly positioned between dishwasher and undersink cabinet, which is where the little buggers usually come up from the basement. The prognostic pasta had been carefully replaced Saturday night, but Sunday morning it was gone. Apparently the intruder had brought a friend.

After much cleaning of counters and everything on them during the day, we re-peanutbuttered and re-set the trap that night. We were engrossed in a movie (Snowpiercer – I recommend), when ka-clang, the second intruder got himself locked up. So, another eviction was set in motion

This time the monitory macaroni was gone before we’d even had time to scour the previous inmate’s prison cell (they’re filthy little buggers). But the seasoned mouse hunter is prepared. There was a second trap in the basement somewhere.

I was hunting for that when I found the snake droppings in the laundry room. I really don’t mind wildlife raiding the garden. But I was seriously getting fed up with the indoor zoo at this point. We’re reasonably sure it’s a garter snake, which is what we frequently see around the house. It prolly followed the mice inside, which is a good thing. That snake is working on oury side, here. But, man …

Monday morning we’d trapped the third mouse, but not before it had scouted out one of the counters, and left its little gifts there. Needless to say we’d both envisioned our long weekend to involve way less scrubbing. We’re apparently rid of the mice for now; the notable noodle was still present this morning. There might still be a garter snake in the basement, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s welcome to whatever it can catch down there.

This morning, however, it was caught. It must have fought like a lion — the trap was half-way across the kitchen.

But when I released it in the woods, it refused to come out of the trap, even though I found it a dark brush pile. I finally managed to tap it out, though it was holding on like a chimney climber, all four feet against the walls.

When I came outside, I realized the raccoons had been trying to get into the trash again.

Our bins have locks, but it took the rascals about two weeks to figure those out. They’d push the bin over and open it up.  So we bungee-cord it to the fence.

This is the first time they’d been trying to destroy the cord. It’s quite frayed at the end. Wonder how long that’s gonna hold. The raccoon that gets a face full off snapped bungee cord is going to be really surprised.