This afternoon I was going out to get eggs and check on things in the greenhouse. As I was walking out there, I was thinking how happy I am to be living out in the woods, growing some of our food, having the chickens. I went through the gate into the orchard and was met by 20 chickens who thought I might have treats for them. I did so gave them some blueberries that were getting old, and some leftover oatmeal.
I walked on towards the greenhouse, thinking my grandma would be so proud if she could see me with my chickens and my garden, loving being out in the country. She would probably be surprised because when I was a young adult, she probably thought I’d totally lost my love for living in the country.
Into the greenhouse and I was thinking about people who like living in the cities and how nice it is that we can all find the place we’re comfortable. Yes, I was convinced I’m a true country girl.
The last thing I was going to do in the greenhouse was water the plants. I keep a couple of 5 gallon buckets of water in the greenhouse and on the days when we’ve drained the water lines due to cold (20 degree tonight), it’s easier to use the water in the buckets than to get the water lines going again.
I have a big cup – about a 6 cup plastic measuring cup that I keep in the greenhouse for getting water out of the buckets and onto the plants. I scooped up the cup full of water. You know how sometimes you catch a glimpse of something out the corner of your eye? I did and I looked into that cup of water I was holding . . a dead mouse! I guess he somehow fell into the water bucket last night and couldn’t get out and I scooped him up in the cup of water. I screamed and I’m not even going to tell you what I screamed. I threw that cup back into the bucket and ran for the door. Then I thought . . it’s just a mouse . . but I still went back to the house and asked Vince if he’d come dump that bucket for me. He did and I’m feeling a bit more like a city girl than a country girl right now. My grandma would have dealt with that mouse without thinking twice about it and she probably wouldn’t be quite so proud of my reaction to a totally dead mouse.
Katie says
I have found dead chipmunks in my rain water buckets and sadly baby birds, Mom builds her nest above it. Not going to waste the water still going to water my garden. Just scoop them out and continue my chores. Just have to wait for Spring to come back to Mn.
Judy Laquidara says
It was just a 5 gallon bucket so Vince dipped the dead mouse out and poured the water around a persimmon tree. Mice can carry way too many diseases for me to continue using that water on things we’re eating now – basil, ginger, bay leaves, etc.
Joyce says
I would have the same reaction to a dead mouse! I also have that reaction when I find a dead snake in the yard…yuck! I remember my Grandma telling me once that she killed a mouse that was under the kitchen table with nothing but a broom. I was impressed, but I don’t want to dispatch a mouse that way any time soon (or ever!)
Karen says
Many years ago when I was a single mom of two, one of my favorite treats was to soak in a hot tub of water with a good book and a glass of wine after the kids were in bed. I would read until the water started to cool and then push the drain stop up with my foot usually not even looking at what I was doing. One night after opening the drain with my toe i felt something on my leg – looked down and there was a mouse swimming frantically in the tub with me. I think I actually walked on water getting out of the tub! One of my neighbors had six sons – I called her and she sent two of the boys over – they calmly picked the mouse up by the tail and removed him from the house. They were snickering the whole time at the wussy mother of their friends.
Ruth says
Yesterday I killed a mouse with a pair of long-handled pliers, that I had caught in a sticky flytrap spiral after he sat!! on two different snap traps and ate the peanut butter off. He wouldn’t go into the electronic mousetrap. Once stuck on the flypaper, I laid two paper towels on top of him and hit the lump with the pliers. I’d been trailing after him for three days and finally got him in front of my fridge.
Mice do not belong in my house, I’ve never had one in 10 years here, and there had better not be another one. But now I know to put out a sticky flytrap spiral! Just have to make sure it’s on a cleanable surface, because that sticky stuff does not come off easily.
Barbara says
City or country, we all have our limits! I can handle mice. I don’t like them, but I can do it. I cannot do anything with a snake except run. I can barely look at a snake. I am always impressed when you mention getting a snake out of the chicken coop or killing a snake in the coop.
You’re still a country girl in my eye.
Susan Nixon says
That made me laugh. Once, when the mice worked the lid off a bottle of vinaigrette, and then promptly drowned themselves in it, I was a little unnerved, but I put the lid on and tossed the whole bottle, shuddering the whole time. I hadn’t known we had mice! It was in the country in NJ, and I should have known, but I was only 21, and really hadn’t ever met a mouse before! You did just fine, and that’s a husband’s job. =)
SusanB says
Reminds me of the time I was scooping dog food out of a 25 pound bag to feed my dog and scooped out a dead mouse. I screamed. I dropped the cup of dog food + mouse. The dog thought I was nuts and just wanted her dinner. Shortly thereafter I bought a 20 gallon trash can to keep the dog food in. That was in 1983 or 84. I’ve moved 4 times and still have the trash can.