Juggling life through a bi-polar lens. Sometimes up, sometimes down. Mostly trying to tread water in the middle. Creating a likeness to a normal life. Whatever "normal" is...

Wednesday 25 June 2008

ABC Wednesday......

W is for
Where the Woodmouse Was.....


Honestly, he was right here! But he popped back down by the fence as I took the picture

This is a little corner of the garden that I keep a bit wild, really. I started a little log pile of larger cuttings at the back, and within a week some bumblebees moved in! Recently, I've added the herbs in the foreground. I don't usually like labels on plants in the garden, but I've put some in here because, otherwise, I'd forget the names of the herbs!

Anyway. Back to this woodmouse.......
He came back later but it was a bit too dark to take his photo. I didn't want to scare him with a flash, but can you spot him?

Close up!
In this next one you'll need to make it larger an look up close! I'll leave it here as a challenge for you. I promise you, he IS here! He is nibbling on a bit of pear near the centre of the picture.
The woodmice used to live in the house. I liked them. I sleep odd hours and they used to keep me company at night. I would leave a few hazelnuts in the corner of the kitchen for them. That's how I knew they were around. They tried out lots of odd places to nest in or use as a store: my partner went to put his shoes on one day, and found 11 hazelnuts inside one of them.

When the nuts stopped disappearing from the kitchen corner, I knew they weren't living with us any more.

To close, here's a wee video I made when we had a regular cheeky mousie visitor. It also features Dilly, a croco-dragon. This mouse is a rather large specimen. Most are dinkier than this.




Some people squirm when I say I used to have mice, but these weren't house-mice: house-mice have a nasty smell. Not so with woodmice. I suppose there is still the hygiene question: but I have no kiddies, so a quick wash and vacuum did well enough for me. They made me smile, and that's the main thing. And now they have the same effect, when I'm out in the garden!

*****

For more info ABC Wednesday posts, go to

Mrs Nesbitt's blog

where you will see info on how to join in, and a table of links to those taking part.

*****

13 comments:

mrsnesbitt said...

Loved this!

House is quiet........Wilma in kennels, not the same.
Pants.......packed! LOL!

Mrs Mac said...

Relieved to hear that last bit!!!

Diana S said...

oh, your pet woodmouse is darling! we have chipmunks, but they live outside. under my garden I think. there are holes everywhere.

abb said...

Woodmouse...lovely ABC WED. W!

Bear Naked said...

Wonderful W for ABC Wednesday.
So many different interpretations for the letter.
I doubt next week will be the same.

Anonymous said...

It was Worth Waiting for.

Dragonstar said...

Wonderful woodmouse pictures! Your video is quite something, too - fancy the mouse being brave enough to dare the dragon! Dilly, as usual, is a star.

Lynda (Granny K) said...

Love the woodmouse! My sister's got one(?) who visits her birdtable, she calls it Hermione!

Reader Wil said...

That's a nice idea to video tape the little woodmouse!. I remember when I first lived here, we could hear mice in the attic scratching all night. that was not so nice.

CherryPie said...

I can just see his little ears in the shot with the pear.

A while ago I used to have a family of them under my shed :-) They are much cuter than their House Mouse cousins ;-)

Stardust said...

I've just been to Bob's, and too happy to find the woodmouse at your place! I love anything ' mousey '. I had 2 lovely hamsters, my best friends. I'm reminded of them whenever I see fellas from the same family. Gosh, the woodmouse is so fast! It's really shy I think, my pets were bold.

The Dutchess said...

This is lovely...i mean your blog (and also the mouse).Please visit me in my garden and meet "Miss Mouse".She is sweet. I will be back to visit.(your drawings are great!)

Anonymous said...

Awwww, how adorable! I had some mice in my garage a few years ago, attracted by my bird feed. I loved them and even left a little seed out just for them, until... They did nearly $800 of damage to my car's engine. Oops! Even then I couldn't stand the thought of killing them, so I set out a live trap until I caught them all (there were 7) then took them to the park a few blocks from where I live and let them go.