The mice - rather than packing their bags and leaving have moved upstairs and been having a party in the cylinder cupboard. Good for them as it's the warmest room in our house at the moment but all through the bedding and towels - Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been through it all and thrown some out and washed heaps - do those varmints not know it is winter and the chance to get things dry are currently very limited! I don't know how long they've been camped out in there - long enough to make quite a lot of mess though. I set a trap and have been waiting but they are just not interested in the tasty peanut butter I've offered - perhaps they have heard about a better party venue or maybe they've moved back downstairs. Either way they could have cleaned up after themsleves.
Oh well off to vacuum the rest of the mess up and get everything back into the cupboard before our human house guests arrive tomorrow.
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Sunday, 22 June 2008
10K walk
Today I completed the Harbour City 10k walk in a time of 1:41:56 which isn't too shabby.
Not my fastest in a 10k event but considering the conditions I was more than happy to finish. Wellington turned on one of it's wet, windy, icy polar blasts and I was just so grateful to finish at all.
Not much to report on the craft front - all right nothing to report - but I have been working several days a week of late and that seriously cuts into the chance to craft.
I am not too hopeful of it improving in the next couple of weeks either as I am working 3 days this week and then my parents arrive the week after and I'd rather spend my precious time with them than downstairs in the cold and damp. We are then heading off on a road trip - think Thelma and Louise with 3 adults, two kids and some snow! We are heading south to catch up with family and show the kids snow - they have only been wanting to see it for about 4 years. Also think cramped car space, long car journeys, short time frame and at least one child who gets car sick. Sounds like the recipe for trouble to me but I am looking forward to it!
Not my fastest in a 10k event but considering the conditions I was more than happy to finish. Wellington turned on one of it's wet, windy, icy polar blasts and I was just so grateful to finish at all.
Not much to report on the craft front - all right nothing to report - but I have been working several days a week of late and that seriously cuts into the chance to craft.
I am not too hopeful of it improving in the next couple of weeks either as I am working 3 days this week and then my parents arrive the week after and I'd rather spend my precious time with them than downstairs in the cold and damp. We are then heading off on a road trip - think Thelma and Louise with 3 adults, two kids and some snow! We are heading south to catch up with family and show the kids snow - they have only been wanting to see it for about 4 years. Also think cramped car space, long car journeys, short time frame and at least one child who gets car sick. Sounds like the recipe for trouble to me but I am looking forward to it!
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
Father's Day Countdown
Lisa Vollrath is doing another holiday countdown - this time for Father's Day which is coming up in the USA. Check it out here
Sunday, 18 May 2008
The War - I might be winning
Well, thanks to all the suggestions about the mice, I might be getting ahead.
I invested in another trap - the really good quality ones (that the last party of mice took away and hid - never to be seen again) I thought it was worth another go with them - these mice might not be theives - just mice.
I also returned to using peanut butter - luckily not a favourite in our household with the two legged critters so there was plenty to spare.
Last night, when I crept downstairs to 'play' in my craft space - I discovered the trap had been set and had caught an offender. I love these easy set traps - it's baited and ready to try again.
The good news is I haven't heard any more gnawing either so perhaps the mixture of poisen and traps has killed/scared them critters enough to get them to find another home - warmer and friendlier than mine. Good riddance to them.
I invested in another trap - the really good quality ones (that the last party of mice took away and hid - never to be seen again) I thought it was worth another go with them - these mice might not be theives - just mice.
I also returned to using peanut butter - luckily not a favourite in our household with the two legged critters so there was plenty to spare.
Last night, when I crept downstairs to 'play' in my craft space - I discovered the trap had been set and had caught an offender. I love these easy set traps - it's baited and ready to try again.
The good news is I haven't heard any more gnawing either so perhaps the mixture of poisen and traps has killed/scared them critters enough to get them to find another home - warmer and friendlier than mine. Good riddance to them.
Wednesday, 7 May 2008
Mother's Day Countdown
As usual, the wonderful Lisa Vollrath has put together another collection of images for a holiday - this time for Mother's Day. Check them out here .
Wednesday, 23 April 2008
It's War!!!!!
The mice are back!!!!!!
Now I am not usually a mean person - not really animal loving but certainly not a hater either - and I am usually a caring, sharing kinda girl too but the mice have got to go!!!!!
Now I wouldn't have a problem if they set up their homes down in our garage but oh no they have moved into the one room my family have let me have.
I wouldn't even be so bothered if they hid out behind the sofa and kept quiet, only throwing parties when I was away (I give them most days and much of the night - all I ask for is a couple of hours a few times a week), but no ... I was down there last week and could hear chewing.... not little mousey nibbling but gnawing that sounded like a HUGE rat. Now I am not ruling out a huge rat but good luck to him the place is full of mice!
I am not entirely sure what he could be gnawing on but there are heaps of options ...... cardstock in a rainbow of colours, pretty papers that were too good to use (but now might be too holey to use), oddments of wool left over from jerseys that might be good for kids crafts one day, fabrics bought for garments that the kids are too big to wear now or for clothes for me that I was too big to wear (but things have changed a little so I might have to revisit that :-)), my generous serviette collection (very good for making cards and things from when they are not ripped to shreads), Guiding memorabilia from my years as a girl, Guiding ideas for me to use now as a leader, ribbons, buttons, rubber stamps (now thats a challenge I could set them - I have a box of stamps that I never use they could start with but I wouldn't want them to get the taste for it so we wont go there!), lots of books and patterns and papers of various descriptions and my stamp collection (nearly 30 years of sorting, soaking and display).
So you can see how horrified I am that they are back - I had an issue a year or two ago and I managed to kill 17 within a couple of weeks but I am hoping things are not that bad down there yet. I know it is getting colder and they are just trying to survive but go out into the garage or get behind the sofa and be quiet! {In case you can't remember last time , the mice stole two mouse traps that I still have never found!}
I have managed to get two so far - after hearing the GNAWING I remembered the poison half used from last time and I laid some into an old tin foil plate next to the mouse trap that had been set (but some rodent had pinched the bait and I had not rebaited it). I also put down a sticky mouse trap (fromteh $2 shop - I'm begining to think you get what you pay for).
The next morning I was so excited - one brave little mouse had crept along, seen the sticky trap, thought "you silly fool" and side stepped it getting him temptingly close to the piosoned bait. "Aha" he said to himself "that looks much tastier than all the paper I've been nibbling on" and hedecided to have a taste. He stepped onto the edge of the tin foil plate which tipped at his weight throwing all the bait into the air and scattering it all over the floor. In his fright he jumped up and landed on the unbaited mouse trap - setting it off and trapping one of his legs which is where I found him the next day.
Now I have just discovered two more today - one jumped from the rubbish bag where he had been gnawing a hole - I am just hoping that it wasn't the first mouse who I had thought was dead but really he was a great actor and had mastered the art of playing dead. And the other mouse - hopefully not also pursuing acting is lying dead, not too far away from the poison (unfortunately I had already sealed the rubbishbag [with the mouse holes in it] and taken it to the gate so he is still lying where he fell for me to deal to another day, or maybe later when the thought of a mouse lying there, dead, on my floor might get too much to bear!)
If you are still reading this, you are either bored, you are avoiding work (Get back to work Bevan), avoiding the kids cos it's the holidays (go see what your kids are doing Kelly and Keryn - they will be getting up to mischief) or you are my Mum - Hi Mum!
PS If you have any good mouse trap tips please let me know - baits, strategies (yes perhaps I am giving those rodents a little too much credit)
Now I am not usually a mean person - not really animal loving but certainly not a hater either - and I am usually a caring, sharing kinda girl too but the mice have got to go!!!!!
Now I wouldn't have a problem if they set up their homes down in our garage but oh no they have moved into the one room my family have let me have.
I wouldn't even be so bothered if they hid out behind the sofa and kept quiet, only throwing parties when I was away (I give them most days and much of the night - all I ask for is a couple of hours a few times a week), but no ... I was down there last week and could hear chewing.... not little mousey nibbling but gnawing that sounded like a HUGE rat. Now I am not ruling out a huge rat but good luck to him the place is full of mice!
I am not entirely sure what he could be gnawing on but there are heaps of options ...... cardstock in a rainbow of colours, pretty papers that were too good to use (but now might be too holey to use), oddments of wool left over from jerseys that might be good for kids crafts one day, fabrics bought for garments that the kids are too big to wear now or for clothes for me that I was too big to wear (but things have changed a little so I might have to revisit that :-)), my generous serviette collection (very good for making cards and things from when they are not ripped to shreads), Guiding memorabilia from my years as a girl, Guiding ideas for me to use now as a leader, ribbons, buttons, rubber stamps (now thats a challenge I could set them - I have a box of stamps that I never use they could start with but I wouldn't want them to get the taste for it so we wont go there!), lots of books and patterns and papers of various descriptions and my stamp collection (nearly 30 years of sorting, soaking and display).
So you can see how horrified I am that they are back - I had an issue a year or two ago and I managed to kill 17 within a couple of weeks but I am hoping things are not that bad down there yet. I know it is getting colder and they are just trying to survive but go out into the garage or get behind the sofa and be quiet! {In case you can't remember last time , the mice stole two mouse traps that I still have never found!}
I have managed to get two so far - after hearing the GNAWING I remembered the poison half used from last time and I laid some into an old tin foil plate next to the mouse trap that had been set (but some rodent had pinched the bait and I had not rebaited it). I also put down a sticky mouse trap (fromteh $2 shop - I'm begining to think you get what you pay for).
The next morning I was so excited - one brave little mouse had crept along, seen the sticky trap, thought "you silly fool" and side stepped it getting him temptingly close to the piosoned bait. "Aha" he said to himself "that looks much tastier than all the paper I've been nibbling on" and hedecided to have a taste. He stepped onto the edge of the tin foil plate which tipped at his weight throwing all the bait into the air and scattering it all over the floor. In his fright he jumped up and landed on the unbaited mouse trap - setting it off and trapping one of his legs which is where I found him the next day.
Now I have just discovered two more today - one jumped from the rubbish bag where he had been gnawing a hole - I am just hoping that it wasn't the first mouse who I had thought was dead but really he was a great actor and had mastered the art of playing dead. And the other mouse - hopefully not also pursuing acting is lying dead, not too far away from the poison (unfortunately I had already sealed the rubbishbag [with the mouse holes in it] and taken it to the gate so he is still lying where he fell for me to deal to another day, or maybe later when the thought of a mouse lying there, dead, on my floor might get too much to bear!)
If you are still reading this, you are either bored, you are avoiding work (Get back to work Bevan), avoiding the kids cos it's the holidays (go see what your kids are doing Kelly and Keryn - they will be getting up to mischief) or you are my Mum - Hi Mum!
PS If you have any good mouse trap tips please let me know - baits, strategies (yes perhaps I am giving those rodents a little too much credit)
Thursday, 3 April 2008
I am a winner
My Bunny card from my last post won a competition on my friendly Stampin' Up! demos blog - woohoo. So a new stamp set is all mine - new sets (and especially free sets) are all great!
I also won the door prize at a friends Stampin' Up! demonstration last night - woohoo - when I get a moment to myself I will be having some fun...in the meantime ...
I am preparing for a Pippin sleepover - Pirate themed - next weekend - totally stupidly though I double booked myself - I was meant to be going away with the girls to card make at the beach - boy am I bummed - and I have some making up to do I think. I know where I'd rather be.......
I also won the door prize at a friends Stampin' Up! demonstration last night - woohoo - when I get a moment to myself I will be having some fun...in the meantime ...
I am preparing for a Pippin sleepover - Pirate themed - next weekend - totally stupidly though I double booked myself - I was meant to be going away with the girls to card make at the beach - boy am I bummed - and I have some making up to do I think. I know where I'd rather be.......
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