And just like that, you think you have nothing to say, and then suddenly a few things happen that provide completely unexpected blog inspiration. My partner came home yesterday with the news that he doesn't have to go to work for the rest of this year. He was so fed up with it that he took today off. He always has Fridays off and had already planned a vacation after that. That started a bit earlier now because of the annoying circumstances at work. Unexpected, but nice!
But if you think that we could sleep in for once, you're wrong. Something that never happens normally, happened today. Our Skipper was suddenly squeaking around at half past five in the morning. The poor guy was really in dire need. Not that he was sick, luckily not. But he just really had to go. Now he had enjoyed eating something special yesterday. A fairly large portion of mashed potatoes and carrots, and that of course contains a lot of moisture. So that caused him to go. Annoying that this happens on a morning when you think you can sleep in. But even more annoying for him, and it could be much worse. Skipper is so polite to wake us up and not do anything inside. I have experienced that differently with Lana. She would let us sleep peacefully, but finding such a surprise when waking up is not so great either. So I'd rather wake up early on the first day of vacation.
When my partner was back with Skipper we decided to stay awake. We had tea together and around a quarter past seven he went to his workshop. Armed with a good mood that he can work with wood again, and happy that he was awake early ... so that he can make full use of the day. I decided to get another cup of tea, it is still dark until about half past eight in the morning, and as long as it is still dark I can't paint. I need good light for that, and the best light is daylight.
While I was enjoying my tea and talking to Skipper, I suddenly thought I heard a sound coming from upstairs, which sounded suspiciously like the tapping of hard plastic on a wooden floor. This sound seemed familiar to me and I listened for a while. There it was again, and now I knew for sure. This was the sound of a rattling mousetrap!
And well, there are moments in life when you have to be brave. Like when you know you have caught one of those tiny, hairy creatures that have nested in your house. A mouse. Although we are vegetarians and would rather not harm a fly, we, and especially I, do have a limit. And that limit is that I do not want any pests/rodents in my house.
Now that is one thing, but we also do not want to become a mouse killer, so we bought a number of live-catching mousetraps. If you live in the back, on the edge of the woods. Then it is a certainty that sooner or later you will have to deal with a mouse in your house. Because we always have at least one dog running around and also want the mice to live (just not in our house), we do not want sticky strips or other cruel methods. Nope, we opt for a peaceful solution. We place these traps strategically and fill them with a small pinch of peanut butter. That works fantastically, and in this way, we have caught a few mice almost every year in the winter to release them back into the woods.
So today it was time again. Only now I was on my own. Lol. Somehow it is usually my partner who is going to release the mouse in the woods, but he was in his workshop now. I did not want to disturb him for this mouse eviction order, so off I went. Make sure Skipper can’t get near. Put on my coat, and then go upstairs to pick up the trap from the attic. Picking up the trap may seem like a simple task, but I felt like I had to disarm a ticking time bomb. Imagine if I accidentally pressed the button and released the mouse back into the house! That mouse would not listen to reason if I told him to go back to the forest. The idea of a trap opening too early gave me the shivers. But hey, I don’t want the mouse to die because of me, so I had to do it anyway. I firmly closed the trap with my thumb and clamped my fingers in a hold to pick up the trap. Phew, that first part was done. Now for the rest!
The forest area less than a 10-minute walk from our house was now my destination. It was still pitch dark, so I also had to take a lamp with me, and well ... now that I had come this far I also wanted to take a camera. The photographer in me woke up. When I had everything arranged I went on ad. With every step, I felt the mouse moving in the trap, which only made the tingling worse. I walked briskly because I wanted to get it sorted as quickly as possible.
Once in the forest I carefully chose a spot: a place with lots of bushes, where the mouse would have immediate shelter. And luckily my strategic side came to the fore. Before I opened the trap, I turned it so that the exit was facing away from me. If the mouse decided to sprint, it would at least not be towards my feet. I thought I was pretty smart.
The moment of truth had arrived, I had to open the trap. And there it was! The mouse, a small furry brown ball with big ears, jumped out as if he were competing in the Olympic long jump finals. He didn't take the time to thank me, but went into the bushes a few meters further away, and sat there momentarily to see where I had taken him. My photography reflexes are fortunately still there and before the mouse noticed, I had taken a picture, proof of my heroic deed. After that, the mouse disappeared between the bushes as fast as lightning. And that was perfectly fine. That's what I did it for. Instead of killing the mouse, he now has a new chance to build a nice life. I do feel a little guilty when I look outside now and see the pouring rain coming down. I am safe inside and dry, and the poor mouse is outside. Hopefully, he will find a hiding place. As long as it is not in our house.
For those who are curious: given my detached house on the edge of a forest area, I suspect that I have caught a wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus). These rodents are known for their jumping power, fast reflexes, and their preference for sheltered places. Fortunately, the forest fits perfectly into that picture. And now let's hope that he stays there!
