Friday 2 October 2009

Squeak

Having seen over 70 Year 9s through learning the keyboard riffs to at least one piece of music, I've had enough of Coldplay for a bit. So I'm playing Schumann lieder again, even though the first on the CD is Melancholie and I avoid such a feeling.

I called in for various fruit and veg on the way home, put on a cob of sweetcorn to cook and brought a fig through here to eat in the meantime. I heard rustling in the cupboard (where we keep the coal scuttle and log basket in the winter) and then some clattering and, finally, an anxious squeak. There was nothing for it. I'd have to face the mousetrap.

Fortunately, the mouse, though caught by a paw, didn't look too badly injured - that is, no blood. And it's a plastic trap. So I picked the trap up. The poor mouse clung on with its other paws. When I let it go it crouched for a minute in the long grass before running off. I should have taken it further from the house, I hope it won't come back, but I didn't want to prolong its pain and fear, and I didn't much want to take it out of the trap and hold it in my hand. Unfortunately, there's no way of keeping mice out of an old house like this - too many chinks. And you can't just ignore them or you'd be overrun.

No, we don't set humane traps. Sorry. This will change. Disposing of a dead mouse is one thing, but a frightened little living thing - you identify with it and warm to it. We'll still have to put mouse traps in the attic, because it would be worse to trap a mouse and not visit it within a short time, but downstairs it will be humane traps from now on, even if they do come back in again. *Sigh*

The Sage has had a fabulous week. He bought another item on ebay and visited two more people and phoned another who are not only old friends (truly, the main reason for the visits) but promising contacts for future auctions. He's all happy, which means I am too.

12 comments:

DILLIGAF said...

Coldplay?....You are letting the young kids hear Coldplay???

Disgraceful behaviour. Good job I love you ;-)

Give 'em some Madness. Keyboards to die for, Saxaphone to die for etc etc etc.

Come on teach....A bit of Madness will keep them sane...ish

....long as you're happy I am xx

Blue Witch said...

Get some cats.

End of.

Z said...

Look love, it's not my fault. I don't like it either and I've told the teacher so. They have a choice between Clocks and I Predict a Riot. Last year it was Cameo's Word Up, which was much better.

I'd never hear the end of it if I did, BW. The Sage won't have a cat. He loves birds and doesn't trust that a cat can be trained not to kill them. Besides, we can't let a cat roam the house and have the burglar alarm on.

DILLIGAF said...

Word Up got banned from Top Of The Pops over her due to an unreasonably large codpiece.

Cameo were sort of ok as a result and the song went big time due to the ban...a bit like Frankie's Relax I suppose.

Come on babe! !! Teach the kids real music.... Pistols, Offspring, Madness, Specials, even Blink 123 if you must!!!

Love n hugs

4D xx

Z said...

I'm not a teacher, darling. I'm just an unpaid assistant. And they can listen to anything they like, but this term they're doing their own versions of music of the teacher's choice. Next term they can choose their own track to arrange and the term after they will write their own piece in a style of their choosing. I couldn't do any of it, way over my capabilities.

Banning anything from the BBC is a sure-fire route to success.

DILLIGAF said...

Unpaid??? Good grief....they're takin' the piss!!!

Give 'em some Pistols and Siouxsie and....christ I'm pissed....don't listen to me...

Just do what you do. If the kids like it you're making a difference.

If only we all could eh?

x

Z said...

No, no one asked me, I offered. I don't work for money, everything I do is voluntary. I like it that way.

You're pissed? Hah. I finished drinking for the evening more than two hours ago. I'm a bit of a lightweight.

Sarah said...

At least they are not rats!

lom said...

We had a mouse in the kitchen once, it came in in one of the bird feeders, I caught it in a dish and put it back out. We don't see many mice, too many cat's around here. I also fill the bird feeders up outside now.

Dave said...

*Ties string around his knees before bricklaying, to avoid mice/rats running up his leg*

Z said...

Rat poison, Sarah. Though we've never had one in the house.

With the exception of rats, it's a wildlife haven around here, LOM.

Blimey, it's true folks! Dave's just arrived and he's bound up to his knees with bailer twine. He's a proper Norfolk lad at last!

sablonneuse said...

You can't always rely on cats to catch mice, I'm afraid. Three of ours sat watching a poor little mouse trying to find a means of escape until I picked it up (by the tail) and carried it, sqeaking in protest, (the mouse - not me) to the end of the garden. Our cats do, on the other hand hunt birds and butterflies so I think the Sage is right this time.