Well I'll be darned! I'm not very good at identifying wee creatures! I feel a story coming on. It's convoluted, but I'll try to be brief!
One dark evening last winter Alan called me over to see one of our cats staring intently at a little "mousey" type thing on the step outside the kitchen door. When I realised the little creature was frozen in fear, I shooed the cat away and Alan picked the little fellow up by wrapping a wool scarf around him.
We took him inside and put him sitting on the island in the kitchen and we were all "ooh"ing and "Ahh"ing over him like he was a little pink baby! Anyhow, I decided he was a shrew and not a mouse as he had a long snout and very long whiskers at the end. He was shivering and I thought he was as cute as a button. I called Damian over to see him and he thought he was adorable too. Then I wanted to bring in the old hamsters cage from the garage so we could keep him safe and maybe have him as a pet.
With that David (older son) came down from upstairs and he came over to see what all the fuss was about. I was telling him that I wanted to keep this cute little shrew that we had found on the step and then he drew my attention to length of his tail. I had a commoner garden rat sitting in my kitchen! I nearly lost the plot! I started shouting "get him out, get him out! The dirty fecker!" Needless to say, my boys will never understand the female mind! (Does anyone!)
You've just killed me again B!!!!! I've now got a fit of the giggles... heaven help us!!!
Actually I have 2 stories for you now!
1. I once rescued a mouse from the jaws of a cat that was owned by my landlord (back in the days of lodgings). I though it would be a good idea to put it in the same cage as my gerbils. Yeah - BIG mistake. The little bugger escaped and spent the next 10 days chomping through my winter wardrobe that was all packed up. I tried all the humane traps you can think of (including staying up til silly O'Clock with a piece of string round a stick on a shoebox trap thingyummyjjig.
Anyhoo. Eventually I had to go by one of those spring loaded mousetraps. I tempted the wee blighter out with a ritz biscuit on it... and went to sleep. Woke up the next morning so see our fluffy friend with the metal part straight through his skull.
Of course I got rid of him and all was well. Until...
I went to see my Mum, and she'd told my siblings (who were still infant school age at that point). The next time I popped round to see the family - the kids refused to speak to me because I'd killed a mouse in such a horrific manner!
Can't talk about point 2 now because I've forgotten... (that'll be the rose)... but I'm sure I'll remember at 5am... and will come back tomorrow LOL
