Monday: When I got to work this morning Donnell, our excellent maintenance man, told me “I have good news! I found a dead mouse!” Alas, not really good news as far as I’m concerned because I know the poor fellow died of poison. After I told Donnell I’d found mouse turds on my desk a week ago he put out poison. Next time I find mouse turds I think I’ll set my own trap. Or bring in Kitten Britches, who has a knack for mouse-catching. Here is one she caught on Saturday night and arranged on top of her food dish for me to find on Sunday morning-  

Tuesday: Last night it was raining when I got home. I heard a thump in the other room and went in to see that Kitten Britches had brought a mouse inside to play with. She, knowing that I would take it from her if I could, disappeared quickly, I’ve no idea where she went. But a few minutes later I walked in to find her lying on the floor with her paws in front of her, looking all innocent. I reached in between her paws and there, tucked underneath her chest, was the mouse, alive and unharmed as far as I could see. I caught him in my glove and took him outside to the woodpile. Hopefully he recovered- I suspect that mice, once out of the immediacy of the moment, just go back to doing whatever mice do and forget that were in mortal danger a few minutes earlier.