Day 251 - Man vs. Mouse

Dunno what I weigh, but 10.75 miles biking on the path, 150/100.

Today was full of fun little episodes. So I'm gonna post in three separate chunks. Here's Episode I:

After making some pancakes for the boys mid-morning, I decided I was gonna finally tackle the roof on the treehouse. After getting back from a supplies trip to Home Depot, I climbed up on the roof and started removing the green tarp that's been on it since last fall.

To my surprise, in the middle of the roof, I found a family of mice. A mom mouse scurried away with three babies clinging to her backside, scurrying along behind her to hide again in an unturned part of the tarp. Another little guy was separated from momma and scurried another direction, when I saw the big fluffy (and stinky) nest.

I didn't exactly know what to do.

So after a brief pause, I left them alone for a bit and worked on unlatching another part of the tarp. When that was done, I was able to free more of it, which revealed a fifth little guy that scurried out of the nest finally.

Mom freaked, jumped onto a branch of a tree with the babies literally dangling from her backside over the edge, and one of the separated ones did a suicide dive off the roof. Dunno what happened to him. I didn't see where the last guy went, but I'd successfully removed the tarp and tossed it to the ground, and it was time to get down and get a broom to sweep it off.

Well, when I came to the tree I needed to use to help me down the ladder, I found him. The last little guy. He was clinging to the backside of the tree.

When I reached my hand towards him and he barely flinched, I got the crazy idea to try to pick him up. I was surprised when he let me, and let me wrap my fingers around him in my hand to keep him in there as I climbed down.

I was afraid I was gonna get bit, but no such thing happened, so mouse in hand, I called the family out to see what I'd found.




Adorable little fella, ain't he? He's now in a cage with the original nest and some food and water until we figure out what we're gonna do with him.