Première

It was a big première yesterday... It was the first time this fall that I light a fire in my wood stove. Ahhh, that was so great, it is such a nice heating when you’re using the wood stove. I almost always make the food on it when it’s warm, why shouldn’t I? Actually I think the food even taste better (maybe it’s just my imagination ;).

I have the wood in a woodshed and I carry it inside in strong cardboards (?). I used to take one full box in to the house and fill another that I leave in the woodshed prepared and done. It could be good to have one ready so you just can get some wood real fast (in case of bad weather or so).

I remember the last winter when the cat waked me up really early in the morning, about 4.30 am. He was rummage in my bed but I was so tired so I didn’t really care. Finally I got up about 5.30 am and than the cat behaved so mysterious. I decided to figure out what’s going on... I moved around pillows and my quilt… And than… Finally, I could see what was disturbing the cat…
It was a wood mouse (we call that kind of mouse for "forest mouse")…
In my BED…

My bed pal "Apodemus sylvaticus"

Thank God I’m not the hysterical kind. When something happens I always stay calm and trying to solute whatever the problem is. I’m thankful for that. So; I went to the kitchen to find something to take the mouse in (I didn’t dare to take it in my hand). I had an empty cardboard since the day before but how was I supposed to get the mouse inside it? I came up with the idea to first take it in a dustpan and than put him over to the cardboard.

I was standing in the kitchen and making plans what to do with the mouse when I suddenly see something just outside my field of vision. When I looked I saw the mouse jumping down from my bed and moving forward to the kitchen. But the poor fellow, there was something wrong with one of his back leg; he’s dragging it behind. The mouse is acting so weird; it’s so calm and cool. Even the cat finds the mouse strange; he’s just sitting there and watching him. When the mouse finally reached the kitchen he finds a cat candy on the floor so he sites down; in a mouse way; and starts to eat and he don’t even seems to have any bother with the leg. Was that mouse cute or what… It was all grey with big ears and beautiful eyes that looked just like whole black pepper. I manage to get him on the dustpan and then to the cardboard.

I put on my shoes and a coat and than I went out in the dark cold winter morning. I guess that I should have ended his suffering (the broken leg); that would have been the most compassion thing to do, but I just couldn’t. Instead I went over to the mailbox and I walked a little part in to the trees. I put him down on a bare spot under a tree and I saw him walking away with the leg dragging behind (he didn't seem to have much problems with it; maybe it was an old injury). It made me so sad that I felt depressed almost all the day. Poor little mouse.

I could not figure out how he got in to house. I know that the cat didn’t bring him inside last evening. After a while I have figured it out; the little guy was in the cardboard when I brought it in to the house.
At least he got himself a nice warm night … indoor; oh, and some cat candy.

Do I have to tell you that I no longer have a prepared cardboard full of wood in the woodshed?

To be continued...