Happily Ever After
Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running
Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.
The Quick and the Dead
by admin - 19:54 on 13 September 2011
The yowling was unmistakeable – the small game hunter had brought down another victim. Bess was insistent that I share her success, even at 4am, so I stumbled blearily downstairs to take a look at her prey.
I'd assumed that one of the resident mice had met a sticky end but the body on the doormat was much smaller than those I've seen... and still breathing. And squeaking faintly.
Before I could examine it more closely the luckless rodent was grabbed by Bess and swallowed in a couple of gulps. Nature can be harsh.
I suspect the victim had been carried through the cat-flap, for four hours later, as I sleepily prepared to leave for GNoME HQ, a larger beastie strolled across the living room carpet and into the kitchen. This was definitely one of the new residents.
Bess didn't see it, which was fortunate – the mesmerised mouse only had eyes for the bumper sack of birdseed stored there. While it pondered the best way to break through half a millimetre of plastic to reach the bounty inside I was able to creep up and capture it in one of Matchgirl's handily placed carrier bags. Meanwhile, Bess snoozed on the sofa.
The mouse was set free in the garden. With hindsight, I should have marked it in some way, so I'd know if it found its way back – a 20kg bag of seed, even half-empty, is a powerful incentive to brave the resident rodent-killer.
Matrimonial Update: Where does the time go? Three years ago today, Matchgirl and I became man and wife (or woman and husband). It's still the best decision I ever made. I love you, Matchgirl.
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