Stirring

A creature definitely is stirring. And that creature most certainly  is a mouse. Fortunately, said mouse is on the outside of the house.

Our kitchen table is strategically placed to give us a panoramic view of the Tooley Cafe as we dine. Birds and squirrels flit  in and out all day. Rabbits and deer are occasional crepuscular visitors while raccoons, skunks and, my favorite, opossums, are on the night shift.

So I was surprised to see a wee streak of rapid, white motion in the Cafe the other night. Were my eyes playing tricks on me, or was I seeing an extremely tiny guest?

The following night the little guest zipped up the bird feeder pole and disappeared into the shadows of the feeder tray. This time I got a glimpse of a white belly and teensy white feet. I also witnessed the creature’s lightning fast leap out of the feeder and exit via the tops of the bushes.

Consulting Mammals of Wisconsin, I paged through rodents only to discover that we have a great number of mice varieties in our state. A positive ID of our visitor is impossible; several species fit the description. But if I had to bet, my money would go on the white-footed mouse.

I’ve noticed an abundance of cutesy holiday mice ornaments and tsotchkes in the stores lately. I wonder if the people who buy them truly love mice? I consider myself the lucky one. I’ve got a real Christmas mouse right in my own backyard.

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