New Post - A real shocker I know!

I know, I know...it's been way too long since my last significant post, but believe me I live a very boring life..until today that is. Most of you know that I live in the southwest. My house is situated in the city limits, but not far from a lake and a swampy area called the "bosque" that is spanish for swampy area, I think. (I have to ask my Dad about that one) anywho. I tell you this to kind of give you an idea of the terrain around my home. It is called the high desert in that the elevation is high for nice cool temperate weather, but still we are more desert than not.

Off and on we have had a problem with mice. It seems they have found a way to get into the house, but this was only happening during the winter months as they were looking for a warm place. However, this summer they started to come in too...yikes! (man I miss my cat Daisy!) We've periodically set traps, the humane kind - you know which ones, the sticky pads where an innocent little critter gets stuck to and can't escape. We bought these thinking they would be easier, plus they were approved by the Humane Society. These had to be better mouse traps, right? The directions say: "After the rodent has been caught, cover rodent with a cloth or paper towel and hit repeatedly with a blunt object." WHAT??!! YIKES!!! and this is suppose to be humane??!!! Ok so I digress....

....today before getting ready for church I came upon a trap (the normal kind that you put cheese or peanut butter on) of course my husband says these are spanish mice and only eat tortillas...so that is what he had on it. It had caught a small mouse and was flipped upside down near the love seat in the den (for some reason we kept seeing mice in this area.) I told Mike about it and he went over to dispose of it, only to tell me there was no mouse or for that matter no trap either.

Ok...from time to time I might have the occassional forgetful moment, but I knew what I had seen. Thinking that he just couldn't see it....like when he asks for his socks or shirt and I tell him exactly where it is ...and he yells back, "it's not here!" Only to go right to where I said it was, pick up the object and hand it to him, while he sheepishly says, "I looked and didn't see it." So I am thinking he is having one of those (senior) moments, but sure enough it wasn't there.

For a minute I thought I was either going crazy or had been hallucinating from the strong coffee I had had earlier. "Well, maybe it wasn't dead and it only got trapped and dragged itself under the love seat?" I said, trying to figure this out. Mike proceeded to move the loveseat and said "oh oh!" Now you don't say oh oh when there are mice involved. I hate mice and even though they are not man eating carnivores, I am deathly afraid of them. "Oh my gosh!!" Mike exclaimed and I instinctively got a shiver. "What??!!" I yelled. "Well here it is, but you are never going to believe this." Ok, now I was really scared.

It seems our little mousy had indeed gotten trapped and was under the loveseat, but it hadn't gotten there by itself. A small bull snake was busily trying to devour the mouse still very much attached to the trap. (man, I wish I had thought to take a photo.) You know how I said earlier that I am scared of mice. Well, I am terrified of snakes even more. UGH!!!!

Mike was enthralled with his find and thought it quite amazing as he just stood there and watched with no hurry to do anything. "Stand here," he casually stated as he went to get a shovel. "You want me to what??!!!" First of all...did I mention I am terrified of snakes! Plus I was barefooted and all I could think of is he wanted me to stand in the path of the snake so it wouldn't get away. I nearly fainted.

Most snakes when threatened will quickly slither away and I mean quickly looking for the nearest hiding place(which is what I was dreading cause I was in it's path) and the last thing I wanted was to have a snake in the house that we couldn't find, but this one didn't want to let go of his morning meal...it kept biting and extending it's mouth trying to swallow the mouse. Mike clamped down on it with the shovel.

Long story short...ok just not as long. Mike was able to get the snake out of the house and he disposed of the mouse (my hero, this is when I thank God for men.) We ended up cleaning and scrubbing that whole area. We found the hole too, a small little opening where the cable from the satellite dish comes into the house...we figure that is how they both got in.

Needless to say...we never made it church...but I will tell you what. I sure did lots of praying during that whole hour.