Most creatures great and small can stay out of my kitchen, thank you very much!

For most of the last two months, I’ve been fighting a bushy tail mouse in first my pantry, and then rampant through most of my other cupboards. The cheeky thing is the size of a chipmunk, and it has happily pooped and nibbled its way through way too much of my kitchen. I have had to keep my silverware, utensils, and kitchen linens in the dining room for the last month, and I have tried various do it yourself poisons and traps. The only thing with the traps was the mouse is big enough to get the goodies without setting the trap off, and I wasn’t sure that the traps were big enough to kill it. Well, it came to a horrifying climax on Friday of last week.

I set the traps as usual, and shortly after going to bed I heard a SNAP. Only, it sounded like a something was in it snap. So, I got up and investigated. To my horror, when I opened my pantry door, there was the mouse very much alive with the trap on its face, on the eye level shelf where I had often seen it. I quickly found a pan to put over the mouse so I could think. Now what? I couldn’t just leave it there with a trap on its face all night! So, I decided I would take the pan off the mouse, sweep it in, and then take it outside and …deal with it. So, I grabbed something to scoop the mouse into the pan, lifted it-

and the mouse free of the trap bailed off the shelf, hit the floor at my feet, and whisked out of sight at the back of the pantry.

Great. I looked at the trap and saw a good bit of blood spatter on it; not too surprising, but also not great. I now have a maimed mouse, that I can only hope will go outside and die of its wounds and trouble me no more. Yes, it has been tormenting me for weeks, but nothing deserves to suffer and have such a messy end as that!

After the mouse trauma, I was looking forward to a quiet Saturday. Oh no—a snake, I suspect harmless, got into my house and I had to deal with that. My cat engaging it in the hallway alerted me to its presence, and with the creative use of a bucket and the blunt force of a broom I ended that snake’s home invasion career. No more critters for a while, please!

Parting shot: A beautiful sunny afternoon of the type which is becoming more common now that dry season is finally on the way! And, isn't my avocado tree looking good?