Beware of Beatrix Potter!

Here is one of the pictures by Beatrix Potter that was my undoing. Thinking of the adorable mice in her books, I became too soft-hearted toward the little critters and did not show them the door as soon as the fall came and they started skittering into my kitchen for food and warmth. One little cutie would scurry behind the bookcase in the kitchen and then pop out from underneath to steal a kernel of the dog's food that sits there and then pop back behind the bookcase. But what do these sweet little creatures bring? Their little droppings everywhere. They also got into every kind of food that wasn't sealed in cement--a bag of peanuts I keep for the squirrels in winter, a closed bag of almonds, and spaghetti noodles. They lapped up powdered milk. These little country mice turned the back of the silverware drawer into a warehouse for dogfood contraband and nestled in my drawer of old rags and dishtowels. Thinking of them as innocent creatures and as mothers in retro aprons with families of their own, I waited til spring, hoping that they would usher themselves out. Alas, it was a very cold spring, and instead, they invited in their friends and saw no reason to brave the dangers of the great outdoors ever again. So, with a heavy heart, I had to call in the cavalry and retake my kitchen. Now of course I am spending hours wiping out every drawer and shelf, washing everything, putting down new shelf paper, and hoping that in this environment, once again clean as a whistle, I do not find a dropping--the tell-tale sign of an adorable little mouse, who is unfortunately in the wrong place.


P.S. I have a Beatrix Potter screensaver compiled and if you would like one, just let me know, and I will send it to you via email.