Speaking of mice....

One of the challenges that we have faced since we moved into the little red farmhouse that came with our property is that of keeping mice out of the house. No big shocker, right? Well, let it be said that there are two naughty mice who will not soon be forgotten by yours truly! Short story.....

On Sunday night--at an obscene hour somewhere between midnight and morning--Farmer B and I awoke to a loud noise coming from the kitchen. I must admit that I was sleeping too soundly to care much at the time what it was, so long as it wasn't a burglar. Farmer B checked things out, came back to bed, and mumbled something about a mouse getting stuck under the refrigerator. The frig made a loud knocking noise from time to time throughout the night--I just tried to ignore it (seriously, do we not loose all common sense when we are sleepy?)

Yesterday--I woke up and remembered the commotion from the previous night. I looked around the frig. No sign of mice. I thought no more about it.

Around 10 pm last night--the frig began to make a strange noise again. Was the motor going out? Did something fall behind the frig and get caught in the fan blades? I could not figure it out, but Farmer B and I decided that we probably just needed to call the repair man the next day to come out and have a look at it.

Last night--again, at an obscene hour (1:30 a.m.)--the frig was still making this annoying racket every time the motor kicked on. I couldn't take it any more. I got up and UNPLUGGED the refrigerator! Seriously.

All was quiet for the next four hours....finally!

At 5:30 am, I awoke and realized that, like an idiot, I had unplugged the refrigerator in the middle of the night. It only took me about two seconds to decide that this may not have been one of my best ideas, and so I got up and plugged it back in. Again with the loud clanking noise.

However, this time, accompanying the noise was a very unpleasant smell. Surely nothing could have spoiled already, could it? In the five minutes that it took for Farmer B to get his morning shower, I had come out of my sleep-induced fog just enough to remember what he had said the previous night about the mouse....

Farmer B came into the kitchen as I was standing in front of the refrigerator playing "Sherlock Holmes" (hey I'm a little slow on the draw in the mornings before I have had my cup of tea). He grabbed his keys and was starting out the door for work when I looked at him and said, in my most serious "you're not going to believe this" voice.... "I think that there is a mouse that has expired under our refrigerator."

"Well, why don't you call the repair man and have him come and get it out?"

I just stared.

"Seriously?"

Farmer B laughed. "No. I can't get it this morning, but if you can wait until I get home I'll take a look at it then."

"Thank you," I sighed. I detest mice. As he left I was thinking about how thankful that I am that he is always so willing to dispose of our "capturees" so that I don't have to get near them! (Does that sound too much like a "city mouse?")

As the morning progressed, the smell got worse.

I lit a candle.

I lit two candles.

Finally, by noon, I couldn't stand it any longer. I got my screw driver and a flashlight, pulled the frig away from the wall, and extracted the varmints.

Two hours later, I think I may have stopped gagging!

Gross!!!

Does this count as a step toward becoming "true country folk?"