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blogging101, Christmas Vacation, Clark Griswold, Creative Writing, Family, Journaling, Video Clips, Writing 101
Today was one of those rare mornings when I was out like a light when Lord Drollery’s alarm went off. When I finally woke up, it was already after 8:30 and he had left for work. Had a hard time focusing, so blindly felt my way to the toity, walked in and shut the door. That’s when IT happened. As I looked down it ran right between my feet. I nearly gave the Rocky Mountain Quick Step a new definition because I thought it was one big *ss spider. (We’ve already established in earlier posts I have a dread of them!)
I realized quickly, however, it was too substantial for that. It was a mouse. Now we get mice in the house now and then, but usually in the winter when they’re trying to get warm, and they almost always settle in under the range. I can only surmise that Miss Twitch brought us home a present and left it on the doorstep where it likely came in when his lordship let her in late last night.
(By the way, as I was walking into the toity I was checking my text messages. Had a couple new ones this morning. However, I accidentally hit the delete button when the mouse ran between my feet, so if you texted me this morning, sorry, but I didn’t get it. I have no clue if you can undelete them from this stupid contraption! Please text me back.)
Anyway, I stood there and watched the poor little thing nearly have a heart attack trying to find some place to hide. I did NOT realize mice could jump that bloomin’ high! At that point I just backed out and shut the door. I called his lordship, who was NOT happy to have to leave work to come home to wrangle a mouse, but I didn’t want it to get loose in the house.
I woke Bran up and we struck on the idea of pulling a Clark Griswold move ala Christmas Vacation when they chased a squirrel out the front door. We rolled up two large rugs and made a path (which I know darn good and well that little bugger could have jumped over had it wanted!) to the stairs. We were just getting ready to open the door when the white knight showed up. He grumbled at our plan (only because HE didn’t think of it first!).
Armed with a large bowl and a copy of Smithsonian magazine (he asked for a big can which nearly made me pass out), he pushed the towels I had rolled up and put in front of the door threshold out of the way and went in. Took him a minute to find it, but when he did it ran right up the shower curtain and was playing circus tight-rope walker on the shower curtain rod. (Had I been in there at that point, I’m pretty sure the toity would have been unnecessary!)
Gathering his courage, he took the magazine and knocked the little sucker into the bowl thinking to slap the Smithsonian on top to keep him/her in. He didn’t reckon on it being such a jumper!
Out it came and headed for the hallway and through the rolled up rugs. The front screen door was blocked open, and slick as snot that little critter was down the steps and out the door in a blink of an eye. Drollery hurriedly shut the door to keep it out, but Bran said he figured the poor thing was in downtown Ogden by the time his lordship reached the bottom of the stairs.
I was absolutely delighted that our Clark Griswold-type plan worked and we didn’t have to use a mousetrap to kill the scared little beggar. I’ve been practicing a whole Zen “catch-and-release” thing with critters in the house, especially spiders — though I sincerely DOUBT I would have tried to catch one THAT big! Besides, I think it would have turned into a stand off with the mouse not coming near the trap for days, and I was not about to have to run up to Smith’s by the highway every time I needed to use the bathroom! Not to mention not showering for days!
So just remember, if you ever need to catch a critter, drag out a copy of Christmas Vacation and watch it first for inspiration. You’ll get some good ideas.
And here I thought I’d have nothing to write about today!
Karthik said:
Love the way you’ve handled it. 😀
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platosgroove said:
Funny
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calensariel said:
Well, maybe after it finally ran outside!
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Fimnora Westcaw said:
That one of these was this: http://www.havahart.com/store/animal-traps/mice?animal_interaction=150_151
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calensariel said:
Thanks you for that link. We should pick one up and have it on hand for winter. I’ll let his lordship know.
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Fimnora Westcaw said:
Keep one of these on hand. They’re humane, and you can carry it outside and send it on its way 🙂 No fuss, no muss. Spiders are easy to get out, as well, with a plastic disposable cup, and a card – adverts that come during election time are good quality. Drop the cup over the spider, slip the card under, pick it up and carry it outside. Easy peasy. 🙂 And ants, same thing, though they can be quick, but they’ll always come back out from where they run under. Bees, wasps and other fliers are harder, but it’s also doable. On the small ant front, I hear basil is very good for keeping them away.
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calensariel said:
That’s exactly how I catch most things, cups and cards! 😀
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Zareen Martina said:
ahahahahaha, “I nearly gave the Rocky Mountain Quick Step a new definition”, ahahahahahahhahahahaha…. you’re so funny….
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calensariel said:
😀
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Andrea R Huelsenbeck said:
Wonderful description of the scene and process! Very visual! And kudos to Lord Drollery for coming home from work.
I remember a time when my daughter’s garter snake got loose in the house. I tried to catch it, but do you know they can STAND STRAIGHT UP!?! Freaked me out. I called my husband, who was in a faculty meeting and refused to leave. I passed a fretful hour worrying that the snake would crawl into the air conditioning ducts.
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calensariel said:
Twitch has brought a snake into the house before through the pet door. We closed it permanently after that. In fact she brought one of them home and left it on the walk the other night. She must be in hunting mode for some reason.
I DIDN’T KNOW they could do that. I knew a cobra could. That would scare the beejeebers out ot me! 😮
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loristrawn said:
I can picture this plot happening to Lucy Ricardo!
P.S. Most house spiders come from a long line of house spiders, and would be as out of place living out of doors as we would. Sadly, this means either cohabitating with spiders or learning how to politely exterminate them.
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calensariel said:
Really? Oh dear… Well, if I put them outside, at least then it’s in God’s hands! I had one of those “God moments” with a spider in the bathtub a while back if you recall. Haven’t been able to kill ’em since!
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nonsmokingladybug said:
So…what will happen to it’s siblings? 🙂 🙂 🙂
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calensariel said:
Well hopefully Twitch only had ONE playing with it! 😮 (Don’t scare me like that!!!)
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nonsmokingladybug said:
OOOPs sorry, couldn’t help it.:-)
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calensariel said:
Just kidding! (The truth of the matter was a bit more delicate… I was already seated on the throne when it happened. I cannot BEGIN to tell you the horror scenarios that went through my mind in seconds!)
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nonsmokingladybug said:
I have a funny mouse story to tell as well -one day I will.
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spiritualdragonfly said:
🐭 I’m with you on the spiders…..major dislike for them, though I am trying to follow my Zen as well and not kill,,,,the ants, well………………..thanks for the chuckle and the ‘visual’ lol
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calensariel said:
There ought to be a children’s book in there somewhere for my grandkids, don’t you think? 😀
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Colleen Keehne said:
LOL. Glad you didn’t kill it. I kill a few things like Spiders and Ants. (Just killed what I hope was most of a colony of ants last night, they were trying to move in under the house!). Smart idea with the rugs. 😉
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calensariel said:
I’ve never tackled ants. I’m not equipped to deal with armies!
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