Two weeks ago I awoke on Wednesday and as usual went to the kitchen to heat water for my morning tea. As I turned on the light over the gas elements, I heard and, out of the corner of my eye, caught sight of a quick scurrying. I moved the trash can and witnessed another scurry. I groaned at the thought of cockroaches.
Thursday night I awoke to the sound of scurrying in my room. I opened a cardboard box on the table near my bed and something jumped out to dart under the bed. The jump didn't seem like a cockroach though. I went back to bed and minutes later saw a mouse scampering across the top of the dresser. Mice? Not cockroaches?
I didn't sleep well the rest of the night. I am not fond of mice or cockroaches...especially in my room.
Saturday is my morning to tidy up. I reached for the trash can near my bed and heard a noise. There was a mouse in a plastic bag in the trash basket. I was stunned. It wasn't running or jumping, so I tied the plastic bag up. And put it in another plastic bag which I tied up and put in another plastic bag which I tied up. At this point I made myself stop with the plastic bags and took them to the curb for pick up.

I knew the mouse might find his way out of the bags. I hoped he would run for open country and not back into the apartment. I washed my hands several times even though I hadn't touched the little bugger at all.

I started asking the Owen College students what I could do with my mouse problem. One said I could feed a cat. Clever. Several others thought I could buy poison at the drugstore or traps or sticky paper at the market. Some also told me that they have eaten rat/mouse and it is quite good. I suggested they come over to the apartment, catch the remaining mice and prepare them for a tasting. They only laughed.

I have found the sticky paper the students talked about. However I haven't seen anymore mice since I deposited that one in the garbage. Perhaps I saw that one mouse four times. Perhaps the other mice ran away when they realized what a holy terror I can be. I'm crossing my fingers.
Betts and Laurie have a rat that runs across their patio just outside the front door. Laurie is going to try the sticky paper on him. We're curious to see if the paper really works and what rat stew tastes like.