On Mice...

I am deathly afraid of mice. I do not know why. I was raised in the country and had numerous encounters with them. But the fact remains. I am deathly afraid of them. Most especially, and even more illogically, when they are dead. (Which is very strange, I know, and perplexes my husband immensely.) Well, to continue.


This morning started out quite beautifully. Full of singing birds and sunshine. The children were happily getting dressed, and I had just finished up a batch of pancakes (Tuesdays are Pancake Day at our house) when I remembered that I needed to empty the water reservoir on our dehumidifier in the basement. It really is a spiffy little reservoir, holding about a gallon or so of water, and having a handy little spout where one can pour out the water once it is filled. So, I lugged it upstairs and then out to the porch. And then I tilted it over the edge to let the water drain out.

Only, it didn't drain out. It only trickled the tiniest bit. Odd, I thought. So I righted the reservoir and peered around to the spout. And I saw Something. Something dark and shriveled. And It was lodged in the spout. It looked like a large~ish piece of what had once been wet, but was now dry, lint. But how could it be lint? I had serious doubts. Since when does lint go wondering around getting itself stuck in drain spouts? Exactly. Never. Even if it was lint, something had to have put it there. A mouse? Wanting to make a nest? My stomach started to quiver.

I wanted to call my husband, who was away at work........but what would he say? I wanted to call my dad who lives next door........but what if it was just a piece of lint? "You are such a coward!" I kept telling myself as I started looking for something I could use to pry It loose. I found a hand rake and tried to ignore my stomach, which had started jumping around in an agitated manner. I tried not to look as I loosened It a bit with one of the prongs of the rake. Then I quickly tilted the reservoir, hoping the water would force whatever It was out as it poured from the spout. I heard the water draining out, and peered over the top of the reservoir in relief,~when horror of horrors!! Hanging half out of the spout was a dead mouse, with water running out around it!!!

My stomach made a mad dash up my throat, and it took every ounce of my will to intercept it. ( ~ I could feel it slowly sliding back down my esophagus, and finally dangling there at the bottom, quivering weakly.) I am not a screamer, but if I were, I most certainly would have been screaming at that moment. I shook the reservoir. I pounded it against the porch and finally the mouse came free and landed in the flower bed. I chanted "This is SO nasty!" over and over under my breath as I searched for a stick. I found one, and used it to push the mouse under the porch. Then I went inside and called my mother. And after that I tried to eat breakfast. My stomach declined the fried eggs, and at first cringed at the pancakes, but eventually consented to try a small one. I ate it, feeling brave in a weak and jittery sort of way.

Then my husband called, and I told him all about it. He chuckled and told me that he was proud of me. I am glad. But I can't help shuddering a bit now, every time I go down into the basement and pass the dehumidifier. Unfortunately the experience didn't cure me in the slightest. I am still deathly afraid of mice.



*I originally wrote this to share with the ladies of a yahoo group to which I belong. But then I decided to post it here as well. Especially because of a particular cousin of mine, who has stopped by here a few times, and is fearless, when it comes to mice...........and who I was wishing could have been here to help me this morning! To her, the above is lovingly dedicated;)