Scoopin' Up the Field Mice

Well, it sure has been a while since I've updated! I usually have some sort of story every day, but sitting down on the farm, just doesn't happen too much during the summer time!

But I will tell you the story for today.

I was looking out the window at the flower beds, seeing how they are doing today and if they needed any water, when I saw something scurry across the sidewalk.  It was a little mouse. Yuck! Then I noticed there was another one right behind it, but it was not moving as quickly. I realized they must be babies. I went and grabbed our cat. I thought this would be a great and easy treat for her.

Dumb cat just sat there and sniffed at them.  Maybe cause they were babies and they were too slow. What's the fun in that? She did bat at the one that moved a little quicker.  It squeaked a little and then she plopped herself down on the cool dirt. Then I noticed TWO more little mice in the crack of the sidewalk. So yes. We had four total.  I pulled the cat over again. She didn't care. Sheesh, what was I thinking by giving her cat food this morning! I should have left her ravenously hungry. Well... the reason I fed her is because she has yet another litter of babies. And we all know how important it is for a nursing mother to eat and drink plenty.  So, she wasn't interested in the mice.

Sheesh.

Then I called the husband. He was just down at the shop. I told him that there were 4 baby mice up at the house for him to kill.  He told me to do it myself. I told him that I didn't want to. What if I missed. He said I couldn't miss if they were babies. I told him I didn't want to. He told me there was a shovel right there on the grass. I told him I didn't want to. He told me that sometimes I just have to kill stuff. I told him I didn't want too. Then I got a great idea. I told him that if he walked up here and killed them for me, I would make him an awesome dinner tonight.

Worked like a charm.

I haven't cooked anything in a very long while. That's what happens when you are 9 months pregnant and it's the middle of summer and you don't have air conditioning.

He totally went for it.  The poor guy.  But that is the power of steak and potatoes for ya.

He easily bopped them on the head. Poor little babies...that now won't be able to get into my house!

He tried looking for the 4th one (the fastest one) under this bush. But we couldn't find it.  At least he got three of them.  I don't feel too bad...even though they are pretty cute and they were a bit helpless. Because I know how NOT fun it is when they get into the house. Yuck.

Thank you, cowboy. Now...anyone got any great recipes I can look at for dinner tonight???

Cowboy Rules

I got this email from my father-in-law. I think it makes me laugh more, because I've been learning all of these "rules" the past year.  And because the one about salt, pepper, and ketchup totally applies to him.  (My commentary in blue italics).




Cowboy rules for:

Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Nebraska, Idaho, and the rest of the Wild West are as follows:

1. Pull your pants up. You look like an idiot. It's about Wranglers around here, folks. I haven't seen gansta pants for a long while now...

2. Turn your cap right, your head ain't crooked. Haven't seen this lately either. You wear a dirty ball cap or a cowboy hat...everywhere you go, except church.

3. Let's get this straight: it's called a 'gravel road.' I drive a pickup truck because I want to. No matter how slow you drive, you're gonna get dust on your Lexus. Drive it or get out of the way. They are not dirt roads. They are gravel roads. And everyone here has a pickup (not a truck, because a truck is another name for a semi. If you don't have a pickup, you're not a true cowboy.)

4. They are cattle. That's why they smell like cattle. They smell like money to us. Get over it. Don't like it? I-10 & I-40 go east and west, I-17 & I-15 goes north and south. Pick one and go.  Yes, they stink, but thankfully, there is more fresh air in the country, than stinky air. You only get that wiff when you're at a feed lot or something.

5. So you have a $60,000 car. We're impressed. We have $250,000 Combines that are driven only 3 weeks a year. hahaha.. So true. And it probably cost more than your house too! 

6. Every person in the Wild West waves. It's called being friendly. Try to understand the concept.  This one threw me off. Everyone waves. I had to get used to it. Even still, I sometimes forget. I also find myself amused and asking my husband, "Who was that? Did you know 'em?"

7. If that cell phone rings while a bunch of geese/pheasants/ducks/doves are comin' in during a hunt, we WILL shoot it outta your hand. You better hope you don't have it up to your ear at the time. I guess I will not go hunting with the guys.

8. Yeah. We eat trout, salmon, deer and elk. You really want sushi and caviar? It's available at the corner bait shop. Can we add pheasant and Rocky Mountain Oysters to this list?

9. The 'Opener' refers to the first day of deer season. It's a religious holiday held the closest Saturday to the first of November.

10. We open doors for women. That's applied to all women, regardless of age. Love this one.

11. No, there's no 'vegetarian special' on the menu. Order steak, or you can order the Chef's Salad and pick off the 2 pounds of ham and turkey. So true. And you will get weird looks even if you order chicken. 

12. When we fill out a table, there are three main dishes: meats, vegetables, and breads. We use three spices: salt, pepper, and ketchup! Oh, yeah ... We don't care what you folks in   Cincinnati  call that stuff you eat... IT AIN'T REAL CHILI!!

13. You bring 'Coke' into my house, it better be brown, wet and served over ice. You bring 'Mary Jane' into my house, she better be cute, know how to shoot, drive a truck, and have long hair.

14. College and High School Football is as important here as the Giants, the Yankees, the Mets, the Lakers and the Knicks, and a dang site more fun to watch. Oh, it's true. The whole town comes out for the high school football games. They are big events. Everyone revolves around the sports programs!

15. Yeah, we have golf courses. But don't hit the water hazards - it spooks the fish.

16. Turn down that blasted car stereo! That thumpity-thump ain't music, anyway. We don't want to hear it anymore than we want to see your boxers! Refer back to #1! 
 

More about the Cat

So, I've mentioned before, that our cat, is most likely, part human. Or was human in another life and re-incarnated to be a cat in this life. (Although I wonder why she was downgraded since she's an amazing cat..)
Anyway, the husband always makes fun of me because Moley really does have conversations with you. I mean, you can't understand what she is saying, but her meow's are perfect timing. You say something, she meows. You answer, she meows.  It's quite fun.
So.. the other day, she was crying at the door. I said to my husband, "What is Moley whining about it?" He answered with a smirk, "I don't know, why don't you ask her?" hahaha. Very funny!

But the best thing is that today, while I was sitting at the kitchen table eating lunch, the husband came home. As he was walking through the door, I heard him say something, but couldn't understand him. I thought he might be bringing someone inside with him. When no one followed him, I asked him who he was talking to.  He said, "Moley."  I totally cracked up.
I just reminded him that I wasn't the only crazy one.  Loved it!

Speaking of Moley, here is her cute new litter of kittens. About 4 weeks old now. They are all a little scared but nice. Except for the black and white one that is hiding in the back. It's a mean one already. Must be male. The little thing already bit me!

The Husband is Funny

So....as I announced before, we are expecting. No, not another cow, our very own baby. Since I'm due in September, we have come upon the exciting time of pregnancy when we get to have a big ultrasound and as part, find out the gender of our next child.
I had to shop around for the best price, and when I told my husband what it would cost, it was still too much for him.  His response?

"Why don't you just call my cousin, the vet. He's got an ultrasound machine!"j

I laughed out loud. He's so clever.  It was pretty funny.  And now I'm tempted to ask his wife if they ever used it for fun.  I'd also be tempted to ask to use it if ever I wanted to make sure baby was okay in there. Ya know, just when I get paranoid cause they've been sleeping for a long time and not wiggling.

So funny or not, I think this is very good information. Hah!

Gopher Bait

So yesterday, I decided to make a trip to town.  Not the close town, but the farther away town. I never know how people here distinguish that, but for some reason, whenever you say that you are going to "town" everyone knows which town you mean. I still have yet to figure that out and how it works. That's why I had to clarify it for you, because I do not believe that it is a universal understand. I think it's just something about living here.
For example, when I told my husband that I wanted to go to town today, he said, "Oh, well if you are going to town, then can you pick up something for the farm?"  Of course, why not. It's always good to consolidate our errands, especially when they are 45 minutes away.
I asked him what he needed. He told me that they had ordered gopher bait from the supply depot. Okaaay. So I had him write down where the supply depot was.
As I'm pulling out of the driveway this is what he said to me:
"Okay, hon. So gopher bait is basically poison. Ask them to load it into your trunk so you don't have to. They should give you 100 pounds. Under any circumstances, don't puncture the bag.  And if you decide to buy groceries or anything, I wouldn't put it next to the bait. Maybe pile them in the front seat or something."

I called back, "This sounds like a great thing for a pregnant woman to be doing along with her two toddlers!"

The risks you take for love.

So I went.  I pulled into the depot, stayed in my car, and popped my truck.  They loaded it. I never saw it.  I did buy groceries and they sat right next to me in the passenger's seat and under my kids' feet.

It's been 24 hours and we are all thankfully alive.

But the gophers? They soon will be dead.

Eventful day in the land of reproduction...

So yesterday was an annoying day for our bulls.  It was "Sperm Count" day.  Here they've been all winter, minding their own business and just eating, eating, eating. Then today? They were met with electric shocks.
I guess we have to make sure that they are still fertile before we send them out with the females this summer. It's important to have a lot of calves born in the spring.  I forgot to ask if they all passed the test.  And no, I didn't provide a picture for you.

But speaking of fertility, our cat also proved to us that she remains extremely fertile. She had a littler of kittens yesterday. She had SIX. No wonder she was so fat.  Sadly, one of them died, so we have 5 now. I was a little perturbed that my husband didn't tell me until after she was done. Stinker. He knows I like to be there for births!

But the funny thing is that HE had to be there, per Moley's insistence. Apparently, she climbed into the dogs bed, and when Ladd saw blood, he grabbed a box and and old sheet. She jumped right in.  Then he left her to do her thing and she came out to the garage and started crying at him. He followed her back to the box to where she jumped back in and started birthing again.  He stayed and watched for a while. As soon as he left, there she was, back out of the box crying at him. As soon as he returned, she jumped back in and pushed out another one. What an interesting cat.  Hahaha. She wanted someone to be there with her. Of course, my mother-in-law thought this was a great story. I can see why Moley is such a great cat. People will think I'm crazy, but she really does talk to you. You ask her a question and she meows and purrs right back.  She's always talking in conversation form. It's pretty amusing. I'd love to take her to an animal psychic just to see what she's saying. hahaha.

Anyway, there's an update for you. Our animals are fertile. Well, except for Baxter. He's fixed. Which is a good thing.

The Orphan has a Mama!

Also, I just wanted to share the good news, that the orphan calf has been adopted.  Yesterday, a mama lost her baby. So that meant that we could graft this calf.  Some of you may have read my POST on it last year. In case you didn't, grafting is when they skin the hide of the dead calf, and tie it onto the orphan calf. This way, it smells like the mama's calf. When the cow smells this calf, she accepts it as her own.  So she lets it nurse. Then, once it's nursed for a while, it develops the right scent and we (we, figuratively speaking), can take the hide off. Pretty interesting, eh?
So I'm very happy this baby has a Mom now.  The tricky part is getting him to figure out how to eat. He's had a bottle shoved in his mouth so he's a bit confused. But it should work out and he should learn how to nurse.

The Orphan Calf and a Laboring Mama

So a couple of days ago, my kids were dying to go with their daddy to do chores.  That meant that if they wanted to go, that I also needed to go with so that I could supervise.  I'm glad I did.

We drove up the muddy road to the feed lot, when the husband spotted a cow that looked like she was ready to calve.

He was going to feed the orphaned baby calf, but when he saw this mama in "labor" he asked if I would feed the baby. I was so excited!

Cute little calf.

It got so excited to see us.  My husband has been the "mom" for a few days. He wasn't even scared of us.

Aw, even though he won't admit it, I think this cowboy was being so sweet to this baby.

So while the husband went up to get the birthing cow, I got to feed the baby orphan.

Pretty soon, the laboring mama cow saw us, and what do you know. She didn't want to birth in front of us, so she sucked that baby cow right back in. I'm not even kidding.

The husband going up to get her. See all the pregnant mamas? 

He brought her down and put her in her own delivery room. This is the face of a birthing woman...

Meanwhile, the dog started eating a placenta. Or at least I thought that's what it was.

Later my husband told me that was part of the prolapsed uterus from the other day. Sick.

And the kids would rather play in the mud. I mean, of course!

I tried to hide behind a fence, hoping that I could see this cow birth her calf, since she was so close. But no such luck. Apparently she still knew I was there and wanted her privacy. If only I could have made her understand that I'm a doula and I could rub her shoulders or something. I'm sure she would have been fine with that. Someday I want to see a birth. I guess they just happen too fast, when they do happen, and if they haven't happened, they won't if the cow knows you're sticking around. Pretty interesting.

All in 24 hours...

Just a few interesting things that happened all in one day.  Just another day in the life, right?

Well, the adventures started when my husband had to go and pull a calf.  That means that mama cow is having a hard time getting her baby out, so the ranchers have to step in and assist. We don't usually have to do this too much, but every once in a while, it's needed. 
So they finally got the calf pulled, but the mama also pushed out her uterus too....a uterine prolapse. Not a good thing.  So my husband and some others started trying to help her and get everything back in it's place. Unfortunately, the mama died. 
So sad.  So here is a little newborn calf without a mama.  It actually made me extremely sad at the thought. Poor baby without anyone to feed it and keep it warm.  My husband made it a bed of hay and has been bottle feeding him baby cow formula.  But I just feel so lonely for it. Stupid cows. I don't know why another mama can't adopt it!  I mean, one cow lost a twin, she should be able to care for and feed this one too. But they are dumb. So the calf is all alone and the only one who pays attention to it, is my husband. Isn't that awful.  Made this pregnant mama want to go out and save the world. Cause then I started thinking about all of our human orphan babies that need moms and I want to take care of them all! Sad day in the life of calving.  He'll just keep feeding it because it's likely that another mama will have a calf that won't make it. Then they'll graft this calf for that mama cow. 



Next story.  So it's March.  That means that it's rainy and wet. All this wet in the country causes some major mud problems. A few days ago, my husband was hoping that it would freeze just so the mud would be solid enough that he could get his truck up to an area to be able to feed the cows. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to make it. Fortunately for him, it did.
Well, I had my first experience with the mud.  I drove over to a friend's house in a my little car, and lucky for me, got extremely stuck in her driveway! I called my husband, and he was in the next town. Just then, her husband got home.  He got some ropes and chains and got them all hooked up from my car to his. Not so bad. Until I found out that I had to drive in reverse out of there. I'm sorry, but I'm just not so great at driving in reverse! So then I got all nervous.  We started up and I gave it some gas. Things were going well for 2 seconds until all of us sudden, I sunk down and the rope broke!  I got out and realized that since I was so worried about looking behind me, I didn't realize that I steered my front tires over a big chunk of curbing they had lining their drive way.  My tire sunk right into their newly planted grass. I got out so embarrassed and thought maybe we should wait for my husband to get there and the two of them could do it together.  Nah, he thought I could get back over it.  Ok...so second try. He fixed the chain, I got in, held the steering wheel tight, gave it some gas and vroom! Over the curbing I went. I must have hit a dry patch of dirt cause I sped backwards and slammed on the brakes just before I hit his truck. Embarrassed again!
He got out and said, "You want me to back it out the rest of the way for ya?"
Yes please!
When I finally drove away, I may or may not have cried out of sheer embarrassment. lol. I'm pregnant, remember?



And finally...the last story.
That evening, a huge storm came in. It dropped a ton of hail and gave us a big lightning show....then a power outage. And it stayed out for a few hours. Not a big deal right. Yeah, it's not really that big of a deal.  But have you ever been in a power outage in the city as compared to the country? The city has lots of emergency lights. So there are small glows here and there. The country? Pitch black. What's an emergency light? hahaha. But, we did have our propane lamp that was awesome. And fortunately the kids hadn't completely depleted the batteries in our flashlights so we were good.
The only other amusing thing about a power outage in the country is that means that we also don't have any water. Yep, it's true. We have our own well, and our own pump that runs on electricity. So when that's gone= no running water!  It's interesting how many times I wanted to wash my hands, but couldn't (thank goodness for baby wipes and sanitizer), and how hard it is to break the habit of going to the bathroom, and not flushing. Pretty hilarious.  I was just glad that I wasn't at my sister in law's house.  She was commenting about how they have to come up with a bathroom plan since there's 9 of them. How to go, where to go, how much to go, hahaha.  It's a good emergency preparedness experience, right?

So what do you think? It was quite a day, back at the ranch. At least that's the most excitement we've had for a while.....

The Quonset NICU

It's full-blown calving season. And of course, the cows made a huge debut during the big snowstorm last week.  I just have to say that I was slightly ammused.  Apparently, the local maternity ward was bursting at the seams. Women were laboring in the halls of hospital because they didn't have rooms.  As for us? We had five calves that night.  There's always something about a huge storm right? And it's convenience?
So the husband was out in this big storm too. Poor guy. He was making sure that the calves were drying off and getting enough straw to keep warm with their mama's.  The sad thing is that we did lose one calf.  It was a twin.  It seems the mama was too busy with the other one, and this one rolled off the straw and into the snow. So sad.
This also means that our Quonset has turned into a NICU. A few nights later, there was a calf that could not stand up or keep warm.
My husband had gone to check on the cows, and I had gone to sleep. A while later, I woke up to the lights still on. I figured it was about 11 or so.  I looked at the clock and it was 3 AM. I went out to the kitchen to find my husband. I asked what he was doing up and he told me about this baby calf that couldn't stand or get warm. The calf came to the Quonset NICU and he had been warming him and feeding him all night.
You want to know my first thought? I didn't feel too bad for him. I thought (like I have in the past), "This is kinda cool to see HIM be the one to stay up all night and take care of a newborn!"  Aren't I so nice.  And the cool thing about him, is that in between he had cleaned the kitchen and folded all the laundry. I do NOT do that when I'm up late taking care of babies. So that was kinda nice. Okay, so maybe I did feel bad for him that he was tired the next day. But what can you do when there's a baby to take care of, right?
A couple of days later, the calf was still sick. My husband came home and his jacket had stuff all over it. I asked him what in the world it was, and he said he had been milking the mama cow! So there you go. I guess we do milk cows! I had no idea that they did that when needed.  I didn't know the cows let them.  He said that she did try to kick him, but he had to get some of her milk for her sick calf. I guess it worked!
I kept meaning to go down there and get a picture of the NICU for you, but I just haven't mustered up the courage to walk in the cold and the snow. Too much effort for this sick and pregnant lady. :) Yep, we are expecting in September.  And then I will be the one up all night with a newborn. :)

Jack Rabbits

In a cottage in the woods,
A little old man by the window stood,
Saw a rabbit hopping by,
Knocking at the door.
"Help me! Help me, sir!" he said
Before the farmer shoots me dead
"Come on in," the little man cried.
"Warm up by the fire."

I used to sing this song when I was little. And it always made me think that farmers were so mean. This farmer wanted to shoot a cute little rabbit! Rabbits are harmless, right?
Well, let me just say that there are tons of rabbits around here. It's kinda cool.  They even turn white in the winter, just like I learned in grade school. We actually have one living on the edge of our property. I'm not so sure that's very smart with the dog that lives here also. I see his tracks heading back to that spot day after day.
Anyway, apparently there is a rabbit living at our feed lot.  And apparently, farmers don't like rabbits. They get in their grain and eat it! Just like this rabbit is doing to out grain! So now I understand the reason this song was written. Not that this farmer is going to be shooting any rabbits anytime soon. They are just not as cute and cuddly as I once thought they were...

Classes and Meetings

So...with living on a farm, comes meetings of agriculture of all kinds. Meetings or classes. Whatever you want to call them. My husband has been to ditch meetings, farmer meetings, town meeting, wheat classes, and.... my favorite one so far.....Cereal Class.
Last night there was a business meeting for a big agriculture company. We were invited and decided to go because, heck, it was a free dinner!  Plus, I realized that I've got to take any opportunity that I can to go out with my husband!
We got there at 6:30, ate, then listened and listened and listened. I texted. I tapped my foot. I tapped my husband's knee. I ate my food so slowly that the caterers seemed a bit bugged at me when I didn't let them take away my plate until 8:30. I then hung on to my roll and munched on it for the next hour.  Are you with me? Yeah, this meeting went from 6:30 to 9:30!!!  I have not been that bored since I can remember. I'm sure it was interesting, but I had no idea what anyone was talking about. It sounded like a different language to me. So I sat and sat and sat and sat. Through a farmer's meeting. And every time someone decided to pause and tell a joke, or prolong their speech, I thought I would kill over. Finally, about 9 o'clock, I realized that the others might be feeling a bit of the same way. My husband, uncle, and some new people that we met, started rubbing their fingers around the top of their goblets until they barely made that whistle noise. You know what I mean? Gave me a good laugh. Then a few moments later, my husband was laughing and pointed to another table who were building towers with their goblets. It was all very interesting and exciting. But I've decided that farmer meetings are not for me.

In other news, calving season has started. The babies are bein' born. We had a little Valentine's Day baby. What a great birthday, huh?

Post soon...

Preg Testin' and Butchering

The other day, my husband's cousin asked him if he'd come and help him preg test some cows.  Of course he said he would help, even though it was a blizzard. Man these guys. The weather doesn't deter them!  As he was getting ready to leave I said, "Hey, I have an old pregnancy test in the drawer, if you want to use that."  He just rolled his eyes and gave me a weird look. I wonder why? Just tryin' to be helpful!

Then a few days later, I found out they had been down at the barn butchering a calf.  I guess the calf had some neurological disorder, so they thought this would be the best thing.  He and a couple other guys did it themselves.   They put some of the "specialties" on the tailgate of the pick-up.... like the heart and the liver and such.  But when they weren't looking, our dog snuck up and stole the heart!  They were pretty upset with him. But I'm sure he didn't care. He got to enjoy a pretty great treat.  Just like that old deer bone he found the other day and was chewing on....

So there you have it.  Two very fun chores that my husband got to participate in.....like their normal or something.

Gross.

I am saving you from any pictures at this time.  Yes, you are welcome.

Pure Country

So we turned the TV on last night, and of course, as most husbands do, mine ended up with remote control. He started flipping through the channels when he found the movie, "Pure Country."
He stopped to watch it for a while.
I was amused, as it's a little bit older, so I started talking about it.
Me:  So, would you like it if I wore Wranglers like that? Clear up to my ribs?
Him:  Nope. I don't like girls in Wranglers.
Me:  What?! But YOU wear Wranglers. Hah. That's so funny. You really don't like girls in them, huh?
Him:  Nope. Never have.
Me: Well sheesh. I don't like Wranglers at all, but I don't complain that you wear them. But still, you can't just say that it's okay for you to wear them and not for me. I think I'll go buy a pair now.
Him: No comment

A little while later I asked, "Honey, is this movie about a celebrity or something?"
Him: Have you never seen this before?!
Me: No
Him: It's about George Strait. That's him right there! I can't believe you didn't know that!
Me: That's hilarious. Sorry honey. I'll start working on my Country Celebrities...

Then a little while later there was this romantic part where they were dancing together and falling in love. I said, "Hun, why don't we stand up and dance with them. It's so romantic."
He just said, "You can't. Remember how you don't feel well?"
He's so romantic. Aren't cowboys supposed to be romantic? Does somebody have that rule-book somewhere that tells how all cowboys are romantic? I need that book to show him...So that we can ride off into the sunset together....

Calving Records

Yesterday, I was watching my husband on the computer as he was entering in information about the calves from last year.  You see, every cow is tagged so they know which is which and what they need them for. So, when the momma cows have babies, that's all recorded too.  

Here is a sample for ya:

(*The real numbers have been changed to respect the privacy of the momma cows..)

I thought his comments were amusing. But I did have to ask him what a switch was. "Hun, what's a switch and why does that calf have one?"
He had to explain to me that his comment meant the calf had a white switch and that a switch is the end of it's tail. Very interesing.

Then I kind chuckled at him and said, "Hun, under 'sex' why are you putting in 'boy' and 'female'? Why don't you use 'male' instead of 'boy.'" ha ha ha hee hee.

Then he explained that it meant, "bull", not "boy."

Oh.

Well, then why don't you put an 'h' for "heifer" instead of "female."

His response? Cause that's just the way the do it.

Makes sense, right?

By the way, a cow already had a calf last week. That was a surprise birth.  They have no idea how it got pregnant so early last year.  Guess she got around.

Looks like we'll really get going again here soon, starting in February. It's calving season!

Loved this

The other day, this newspaper caught the corner of my eye.  Some of you may know that I am a doula, so you'll understand why I paused to look at this....

Aw, I love how the cows need time to adjust to new motherhood too.  The cool thing is that these expert ranchers say that it works best when you keep the calf and mother together. The worst thing to do is to separate them, or get in the way right after birth. Very interesting, eh? We could learn something from cows!
 Looks like I need to pay attention to my husband's ranch/cowboy magazines and newspapers. You should see the stack of them in our office. Guess it's time for me to go through them. Looks like I could be missing some good stuff!

A Mouse in the House

Last night, as I was enjoying a conversation with my sister-in-law, she all of a sudden stopped and said, "Um, there is a mouse by your Christmas tree."

(Yes still have Christmas up at our house. I mean, it takes so long to put up, what's the rush?)

Anyway. Mice are definitely not welcome in my living room. So of course I yell to the cowboy that there is a mouse, and quickly, he grabs the cat to come and catch the mouse. That's the most logical solution, right?

But Moley didn't really understand what she was looking for. She just thought we were welcoming her the warm house to lounge around. I mean, what else does a 4-month-pregnant cat want to do? So she headed toward the stairs, which is for some reason, her favorite place to lay. (It must be the shag carpet.)

I went after her trying to explain that there was a treat in the other room, as I heard a loud pound and the husband say, "Dang, I'm good!"

I brought the cat back in and saw a dead mouse on the floor.

"Wow, did you kill him yourself?"

And he said, "Yep, with my bare hands. Well, with this flashlight."

I must say. It was pretty impressive. Kind of like a knight in shining armor killing the dragon for his princess... Okay, maybe not, but I was still impressed. I mean he is my knight in shining armor...or a t-shirt and lounge pants. However you want to describe him.

So we brought Moley over to the mouse, to which she immediately started playing with it. I ran to grab my camera and had to tell everyone to hold up so that I could get some pictures of this amazing moment. The cowboy still doesn't understand that I like to document everything with pictures, so he went a little too fast for me, but I was able to catch these shots.

Which right afterwards, I yelled in disgust at my toddler who tried to grab the mouse out of his dad's hand, cause he wanted to hold it too. So gross.

Oh, and where is the sister-in-law do you ask? She stayed in the other room. I don't know why.

Things are pretty eventful in a farm house, wouldn't you say? I mean, this was quite the excitement.

Stay tuned for more. Coming up next: Dog opens the front door at 2 AM and let's himself in while forgetting to close the door behind him in the middle of winter. You don't want to miss this story!