Several times on my blog I have mentioned by borderline-irrational fear of mice and any other scurrying rodent. When Jonny discovered voles in our garden a few months ago, I didn't step foot near it for weeks. (And I still shiver when I go to pick some parsley.) When we moved here a year ago we discovered an eroding vole carcass in a window well. I can hardly look down that or any other window well without flinching.
But I kept telling myself, "As long as they aren't in the house, I am okay." Well folks, they have arrived. Down in our under-the-porch cold storage room, I discovered a nibbled corner of a chocolate chip bag. What seemed to be tiny poop pellets were nearby. I couldn't run upstairs fast enough. The voles are eating us out of house and home - or at least chocolate chip cookies.
Jonny has caught three of the intruders and thinks that may be all there are. I am having a pretty hard time with this. I really am terrified of rodents. Jonny and I tried to discuss my phobia. I really can't explain why I can hardly breathe when I think of those ugly things down in my storage room. I just don't like them. It could be worse, though. They could be mice. For some reason that would be much worse. And what would be the worst? To find a rodent in my house, on the main floor, would have me packing.
Tonight I had Gabe on my lap as I read a Beatrix Potter book about Johnny Town Mouse. He's darling. As are Stuart Little and the animated mice in Cinderella. I adore Little Bitty and his mouse family in one of Julia's favorite books Picnic. So why can't I even tolerate the sight of a mouse or vole or, dare I say it, rat, in real life? I don't even want to think about it any more. It is giving me the chills.
And please don't comment with rodent horror stories of your own. I really am that scared.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
12 comments:
You aren't scared of the animated mice because they are cute - and real life ones are gross. Eww. reading your story makes me not want to have my feet on the ground.
Because I share your fear, I consider it completely rational. Completely. Rodents are terrible, terrible things.
oh my goodness melody!! I can see you booking it up the stairs like your life depended on it...you poor thing!
Hopefully your little friends will leave very soon...or at least start serenading you while cleaning your kitchen!
One question: what horrible thing would a mouse do if you saw it scurry? perhaps, look at you and wink?
you have voles? Oh my goodness, I am SOOO sorry. I think I would be sitting on the kitchen table from the time Travis left in the morning until he came home at night. I definitely share your fear. At least voles move much slower than a mouse.
We used to get mice in our barn and the best thing we found to keep them away was the yellow D-con poison--you can get it at Walmart. They eat it and it makes them thirsty so they leave the house in search of water and die away from the house so you don't have to deal with it. Just keep the stuff where your kids can't get it, obviously. Seriously, we never had a problem when we kept that out. Good luck, I can relate to your fears!
Dear Melody. My mom is a counselor. You should consider her services, and I am NOT kidding. I have had serious trauma in regards to spiders, and now instead of running away in hysterical fits of crying at the sight of one, I can actually stay calm and even sometimes kill one (with a lot of emotional prep). Anyway, consider it.
remember that one time...just kidding!
I agree with you! They are nasty little things and I would be the same if I found one in my house!
So, no horror stories, but I was surprised to find out how much an exterminator was (only $150 in MD) so you should definitely check into that. After YEARS of making Jake take care of it, I wished we'd just called in the first place. Good luck.
They make you feel like you have been terribly violated. Spreading disease and sneaking around etc.... So sorry, I scream and curl up on the couch.
This is Summer, by the way... Andrew is signed on (he is my nephew)
Post a Comment