Tuesday, May 4, 2010

There's A Mouse In The House!


Well, not really, but the little creature came pretty close.

It all started when I heard the cat crying. Thinking that she was shut outside, I went to let her in, but when I went to the door she was not there. Investigating out the back a little further, I found her on the balcony with a mouse dangling from her mouth. As soon as she saw me, she took off downstairs, where she continued to play "cat & mouse" with the tiny creature for about an hour on the grass. Later, she wanted inside again, so with no mouse in sight, I let her in.

All was quiet for about 30 minutes until I heard her clawing at the door downstairs, bounding upstairs, then back downstairs again. When she heard me comming, she bounded up stairs again knowing I would open the door for her. The next thing I hear is her crying again. She was back by the back door with the mouse again, this time the mouse was on the ground with her watching it. As soon as she saw me, she wanted inside yet again. OK, as long as the mouse was outside .

So with the cat inside, the mouse decided he would make a run for it, right into the corner of the bricks & the screen door, with the cat sitting & watching just inside the screen. Now, if I opened the door, there would surely be trouble, and I did not want this creature inside. So, going out another door, complete with my trusty dustpan & brush, I collected the mouse & transported him right down the the back corner of the yard where he promptly disappeared into the garden shed. Good move by the mouse.

OK, so the mouse was safely gone, or so I thought. So when the cat asked to go outside again some time later, I let her out. All was quiet for a while & then the whole game started all over again. So, for a second time, I rescued the mouse with the dustpan & this time the cat was inside for the night. This morning the mouse was back on my balcony for the third time, though this time he definatley wasn't so lively. The cat had obviously collected him again in her early morning wander & wanted to show me her trophy yet again. I am assuming it is the same mouse, though why he came out of the garden shed where he was safe I'll never know. It is possible it was all differnt mice, though I shudder to even think on that line. The neighbours have birds & I figure the mice are comming for the seed. As long as the stay where the seed is I will be happy, it means that they are not in my house. Yippee!

Monday, May 3, 2010

Orchids

Look what I found yesterday. My first orchid buds of the year! I am really happy, as this is one that I bought from the local orchid society about three years back. It has only flowered for me once, then nothing last year. A few weeks back I did notice this new green shoot & wondered, then yesterday I noticed not just one, but two flower spikes! The second one is around the other side. So now I am feeding, watching & waiting.