Gosh, darn it! More mice are running around the house again. I am lucky that Ward usually sets the mouse traps around here, but he's been away for a few days helping his father, who had major surgery last week. I guess I'm gonna have to put on my big girl pants and put some traps out myself. As far as the mice are concerned, the only thing I've done about them so far is to wear shoes in the house. A friend was talking about a mouse that ran across their feet last week while they were standing in the kitchen. Now I know they are just little, mostly harmless creatures, but I'd rather not have a close encounter like that.
Last night, after seeing at least two scurrying around, I pretended that I was camping so I could go to sleep. It's funny how, if the mice are outside, I don't have any problems with them. It's when they come inside that I get a little lot skittish.
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| Ward examining the damage. |
In other news, Debby came to town last week and took down an apple tree in the backyard. It was an older tree, so we were not entirely surprised, but very sad all the same. The good news is that it was far enough away from any buildings and our new fence that its fall did no damage. The apples on it aren't ripe, so we will process it when it looks dead, hoping the apples will ripen more.
Debby's rain brought some other surprises. Mushrooms are popping up everywhere, and we had one in the front yard that was 10 inches tall. A simple but fun thing that had everyone in the neighborhood talking when they saw it on their evening walks. It had enough interest that we mowed around it when we cut the grass. A few days later, it collapsed under its own weight.
I'm tired, so I think I better stop before my ramblings don't make any sense.
Until next time...
Nooo! Not more mice! I'm with you, they are cute when they are outside and kind of icky inside.
ReplyDeleteIt's always sad to lose a tree. Will you use some of the wood for your grill when you chop it up? I was thinking that applewood-smoked food on the grill was a "thing" but I could be wrong.
I love mushrooms and that one is impressive!
Yes, apple chips are good for smoking and Ward uses them sometimes. If I'm not mistaken, they work well with poultry. Ward is also trying to figure out if he can salvage any wood for his workshop. I'm not sure he has the tools to make that happen, but I really don't know.
DeleteI find mushrooms fascinating. There are huge colonies under the ground that only pop up occasionally to let us know they are even there. I don't have any desire to forage wild ones, but I would like to learn more about them.
I am an eek-er when I see a mouse. We had them at the lake place during the fall. I am not sad we sold it!
ReplyDeleteWe're used to seeing a few come in when the weather gets colder, but not during the summer. Other neighbors are having problems, too. Not sure why.
DeleteIt's been a mouse-y couple of years in our area, too. This year has also been a snake-y year. So I'm hopeful that the mice will lessen with the increase in snakes.
ReplyDeleteI freak out when I know we have a mouse in the house. I've gone so far as to keep all pantry foods that are not canned or jarred in the fridge. My daughter found a trashcan for her room that has been somewhat mouse-proof. Her room has a door to the attic. She also uses trash bags that are scented to help cover the scent of anything edible. All it takes, though, is one cookie left out on a plate to tempt a mouse into her room. It's not like her room is slobbish or anything.
Good luck dealing with the mice.
While we are seeing mice in the house, we haven't seen any other evidence like droppings or nibbled food. Who knows? Maybe we'll find a big nest some day. I am freaking out less than I used to, but I still don't like them. It must be hard for your daughter to be ever-vigilant for mice, but it sounds like she has found some good solutions.
DeleteOh, no! Not more mice! Time to get another cat to keep the mice out, I think!
ReplyDeleteSorry about the apple tree, but, I hope you will be use some of the fruit and Ward will be able to salvage some of the wood.
That is one impressive mushroom!
Hope Ward's father recovers well from his surgery.
If I weren't allergic to cats, we would definitely have another one or two. But it wouldn't be smart to get another one which is very disappointing.
DeleteAlways this time of year, the mice seem to want to come inside. We have had those little brown and white field mice come in before, and they are so funny on these wood floors, skidding around corners!
ReplyDeleteSo sad about your tree. It hurts to lose a good old one.
And that mushroom! How cool is that! We have seen very few this year, just too dry for them. Maybe this fall. I could use a good Chicken of the Woods.
These mice are darker than the ones you describe, however, I am more familiar with the brown ones. We caught one last night, but two more traps had the bait licked clean. I wish they would just stay outside.
DeleteI hate losing trees. We don't have as many here as we did at our old house, and we've already lost two big ones in the 7 years we've been here. But we planted a small apple tree a few years ago, because we knew this tree was old.
Just glancing at that last photo I thought it was a small stool in your yard, not a mushroom! That's really a big one. I don't like mice either, especially their poop and pee. Naturally, with all the cats, there has been not a mouse in the house ever. Early on, when I was first here, I had cats recuperating from surgery in a cage in the garage, just overnight, and the next morning, dead mouse in the cage. Even coming out of anesthesia, the cat nailed that mouse.
ReplyDeleteThat mushroom was really cool.
DeleteIn the last few years, our cats have been too elderly to be mousers. However, someone suggested that maybe since we don't have a cat smell anymore, the mice feel freer to come in. I don't know if there is anything to that, but maybe.
We have so far been very lucky with no mice in our house. I guess we sealed it up enough to keep them out. In one of our previous houses we had.... are you ready for it.... rats! I finally found the hole they were coming in and got rid of the buggers!
ReplyDelete