Sent off the edits for chapter 12 on Friday, and was looking forward to a relaxing long weekend. Then woke up Saturday morning to kitchen counters covered in mice droppings. All the kitchen counters. Disgusting.
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.
