WARNING!!!!

If the thought of a mouse story gives you the willies, read NO further!

For all you other brave souls, read on... No pictures today - your imaginations can do the work.

We live in a 200 year old farmhouse in the country. While we continue to seal up any openings we find, a family of mice always seems to join us in the fall. The traps go out (there are just too many hiding places for our cat, who is a GREAT mouser outside, to be effective.) By Christmas the mice seem to be gone. Then spring comes and we find ourselves with more mouse visitors.

This year has been no exception (so at least we're assured spring is on the way) and the mousetrap (we were down to one) has been put to good use. Last night as usual, we turn off the bedroom lights and the cat joins us (he sleeps at our feet). Rather than settling in like he normally does, he keeps on walking up to our heads and stops. Then I hear the pitter patter of little feet!!!! on the comforter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sitting straight up in bed and flinging the covers I yell to John (who probably already has my full attention) to turn on the light - that I think Adam (the cat) has brought us a mouse. Of course, there's no mouse anywhere I look - just Adam sitting there blinking at us. John tells me I'm imagining things and to go to sleep.

1:43 a.m. John & I simultaneously sit straight up in bed, awakened by the pitter patter of little feet on the top of the pillows above our heads. This time John SAW the mouse in the moonlight before he turned on the light!!! Adam is blinking at us at the foot of the bed. John moves the mousetrap to behind the bed (why oh why have we let ourselves get down to only one usable trap?!!), then tells me to go back to sleep. Right!!! 1:58 - I hear it under the bed and jerk up again. John says to relax, it will stay on the floor. Right!!!! 2:14 - John jumps straight up. (I refrained from saying "I told you so!")

On go the lights. We pull the bed 2 feet away from the wall (while I'm silently considering how practical it is to either move back to the cold upstairs bedroom or spend the night on the love seat). Then we spy the mouse being "herded" back to us by Adam (guess he was determined we were going to have his "mouse gift" or else). By this time the mouse (measuring all of an inch) has about had it with indoor life himself. John easily traps him in a jar and "relocates" him to the great outdoors.

2:34 - Adam is heard munching on his cat food (obviously rewarding himself for his gift giving abilities). John is heard snoring. I'm of course wide awake listening for the pitter patter of little feet...