The Aftermath

Hopefully the end of this horrendous saga.

5 dead mice.  Not 3 blind mice.  5 dead mice.

10 days of no droppings,  no mice pee, no sounds of traps snapping shut.

However, I am not letting up my guard, not for one second.

I felt close to the edge of a psychotic break.  My nerves are slowly settling down, or whatever it is nerves do, but just one little cumin seed poop could send me hurtling over the abyss.

I know now not to waste any money on promises of peppermint oil (snake oil in disguise?) sonic sounds, blue lights.  Lethal, certain, and swift death comes via deadly traps.  Merciless, that is me.

And, on a different note, qe have been blessed with a full week of sun - quite glorious. The air sparkles, freshly rinsed and clean.  Tulips in the garden, lilies, orange poppies dancing in the breeze, and the sounds of sneezes and bird song fill the space around.

Here is my haiku to spring


carpets of blossoms
warm rays feathery carress
first hints of a sneeze


My first home was a cottage in Rockridge. I decided on it because, amongst other things,  it reminded me of my room on the kibbutz. Right outside my bedroom window was an olive tree.  In the spring lovely yellow flowers appeared.  Also, in the spring, I began to sneeze and splutter and cough. My eyes watered. I went for allergy testing and discovered that I am allergic to the blossoms of olive trees!!! Who would have thunk.

Every single year since I arrived in California an article appears in The Chronicle in March.  Here is a synopsis:

This year allergy season is exceptionally bad in the Bay Area because of:

the drought
too many rains
the fires
the winds which trap the pollen inland
whatever it may be, every spring is AWAYS the worst it has ever been

Major Freak Out

Oh Goodness, two mice dead - how many to go.

I feel just awful. After 6 weeks of sonic devices and humane traps and absolutely no outcome, I invested in a couple of inhumane traps.  After a few nights of droppings around the traps I was about to give up and get rid of all of them.  I mistakenly left one out that same night, and as I was falling asleep - whup, a lethal chop. I did not go to check on anything, I knew what it was and couldn't face it. The next morning I peeked between my fingers and yes - saw it all. Paper bags, rubber gloves, dry heaves, heavy waves of guilt and nausea overcame me, and the thing landed in the garbaage.  Now I have been wracked with guilt at taking a life, and no one is able to reassure me.  Yesterday I was conducting a skype consultation at 8.00 a.m. when, out of the corner of my eye a mouse ran into my study.   Sooooo, consultation with landlords, more money spent on traps, both lethal and 'humane' - traps set and early this morning - another one.  Goodness knows how many there are.  I am mostly allergic to cats and never know how allergic I am until I spend some time with them!

It has been pouring with rain and water has been coming into my  bedroom.  Ants are everywhere, I kind of feel like I am in a house of horrors.  As I have written about before, I do not peacefully coexist with all of God's little creatures.  I know on the evolutionary scale mice and ants are fairly mild, but obviously in my limbic system the fight or flight reaction is activated - I am no longer dealing with large predatory animals, but for me these smaller versions are not much different.