The Critters are Preparing for Winter

Where we live I see plenty of non-domesticated animals running about. Deer? Check. Rabbits? Check. Opossum? Check. Squirrels? Check. Rabbits? Hundreds. Mice? Oh, yeah. Surely you haven’t forgotten? I’ve even see pheasants walk out of the stand of trees across the creek and we’ve had a big snapping turtle climb the hill in our back yard and have a bit of sun on our patio.

As the evenings get cooler I notice the preparations the little critters are taking for the upcoming winter. The rabbits are lining their burrows with the fur they have shed over the summer. The birds who winter here are using the hair we so thoughtfully brush from Toby and leave in the yard to line their nests. The squirrels are gathering walnuts and acorns and scurrying with them back to their trees. And the mice…

Well, the mice are probably trying to figure out how to get back in to my basement. Nasty little buggars. The last mouse infestation was enough to make me take precautions to prevent a second occurrence. We’ve had any possible entrance routes closed, everything in storage is in plastic tubs, and Toby’s food is double checked so it’s not accessible.

As much as I hated knowing those little beasts were in my house I felt kind of bad for killing them. It’s a nasty business to dispose of them… Not that I really considered live traps… Where would I put it? Back in the field behind the house so it could find it’s way back in? Not likely, little mouse, not likely.

For a rabbit? Well, I suppose we'll hold that judgement until they eat my vegetables.