Tuesday 24 November 2020

A Grey Day

 It's a grey day here today with one of the those tantalising skies of blue showing through here and there.   A friend from Lincolnshire has just phoned and it is sunny there so it is obvious we are just a little too far to the North to catch the sun.

We are more or less in the grip of Covid here now.   Our local Comprehensive is shut and apart from the necessary shops our little town has more or less shut down.   Not that I would notice as I am not allowed over the threshold.

Looking out into my garden I can see the tips of crocus poking through the soil - that gives me hope.   And there is the vaccine of course - whether or not to have  it when it becomes available.   I know I am particularly vulnerable at the moment - under the weather recuperating from quite a major operation, no appetite at present and many professionals coming into the bungalow to help my recovery all well protected of course but all having been to visit people in a similar state to me.   When they come in they have a new plastic apron on, new gloves and new mask - all are destroyed when they move on.

No mice have been caught so far - six traps, baited with peanut butter - but they are clever these mice.   A friend suggests a raisin stuck in the peanut butter so we shall try that tonight - my friend says they cannot resist raisins (sounds like me and Bounty Bars).

Well with the onset of evening the blue sky has won and chased away the grey clouds - but no sun of course - too late in the day.

40 comments:

Librarian said...

It is good to know everyone who comes to your house adhers to the measures to keep you safe.
Why not try a Bounty Bar for the mice?

It has been a day of solid grey skies and wet-cold air, but just about an hour before sunset, the sun came out and filled my living room with magic golden light! Not that I could enjoy it more than fleetingly, I am still at my work desk (not in the living room) and just wrapping up things for today.

Debbie said...

Once when we had mice, I was told to bait with a well-chewed Rolo. The problem was that I kept swallowing it! ( I like Rolo's!). In the end we dropped a few grains of muesli over the trap and then dropped honey onto it. Messy - but it worked.

Lovely to have you back Pat - missed you lots!

Ellen said...

I’ve caught lots of mice in traps (sorry but not live traps) using chocolate spread as bait.

Beachcomber said...

We use Mars bars for our mice and larger relatives.
Sue

Beachcomber said...

I suppose that should read “for our mice and their larger relatives.”
We tend not to trap our own relatives!
Sue

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

You're certainly getting a lot of suggestions for baiting your mouse-traps (whatever happened to good old cheese, I wonder). Maybe you could bait each of your six traps with different foods and run some kind of sweepstake among your readership. My money's on the peanut butter.

Bonnie said...

I am glad to hear that you have people coming in to see that you are well and your needs are met. I am especially glad to know they are taking all necessary precautions.

Mice do tend to come in this time of the year, don't they? Having cats as we do usually keep them away here although we have on occasion seen one. It is interesting to hear what type of food works to catch mice. I guess they have discriminating tastes and what one likes another may not!

Take care dear Pat!

Rosie said...

Hello Weaver, same weather as you today, even though we are way “down south”. It’s going to be a cold night, I think. I’m so pleased to hear that you are getting all the professional attention you need, but it must be exhausting having people in and out all the time. At least it is someone to chat to. Re the mice- no advice to offer except Bounty bars are way too good to put in a trap. You have reminded me of them, and some may have to jump into my virtual Waitrose basket this week! And Beachcomber’s comment above made me laugh! Take care, Rosie

Jennyff said...

So pleased you are back to regular blogging and hope your recovery is going well. My husband is in two minds about the vaccine, concerned about sufficient testing and I’m worried about Christmas get togethers and the results of that, we won’t be seeing anyone. Once we get through the worst of winter, spring should be.a hopeful time and life may become a bit more normal next year. We just have to hang on and do our best. Take care.

angryparsnip said...

We are just starting to get some cooler weather here and I am so happy ! All the critters are looking for a warm home for winter.
Happy to see your blog popped up on my side bar.
xx

Yellow Shoes said...

Very pleased to hear you’re home and comfortable. x

Bea said...

We've recently discovered a resident mouse in our new digs. I shall try the peanut butter and raisin method to try and lure him out.

it's me said...

I’m battling field rats in my greenhouse and a tiny mouse in my car. I caught the mouse in a trap last night, but the rats run away with the bait.
I can’t understand why the rats want to eat potted plants, but they can destroy a summer’s work in one evening.
COVID has re-emerged here too, and it’s hard to say who has the right approach for prevention.
I haven’t had a hair trim in a year,
But hope to have my son’s family here for Thanksgiving. We’ll eat a picnic outdoors.
Take care.

JayCee said...

Our mice seem to favour chocolate. Even better, chocolate smeared with smooth peanut butter!

Bovey Belle said...

Fruit cake for meeces here in the past.

Surprisingly mild here today but I think it's predicted to get colder and the coldest winter since 2012 is apparently on the cards. I do hope not.

Amazingly, work has started on sorting out the lane which is falling into the river down by the bridge. Everyone predicted it would be at least 2 years before they started on it!

pat chester said...

Good to have you back. I hope your cellulitis will clear quickly. I know what it is like as my husband has had it and is not quite back to normal yet after 8 weeks. Good that you have people helping to look after you, it must not be easy for you to not be able to do much. Hope you get nicer weather as that does help keep your spirit up.

busybusybeejay said...

So good to have you back amongst us.You have been missed.Take care.Barbara

Sue in Suffolk said...

It's good that you have lots of people coming in to help you get back to normal and they sound as if they are all being very careful.
Keep resting and moving carefully. Much Love still being sent to you
(and yes I decided to move quite suddenly when I saw some new houses being built and it all happened within two weeks!)

Margie from Toronto said...

Oh - Bounty Bars are my downfall as well! I now try to buy the mini ones and only allow myself two at a time! Worth a try to see if the mice also like them!
It is also a grey November day here and we are also back in lockdown. I had to go into the office for a couple of hours this morning so picked up a few groceries on the way home - won't need to go out for anything more than a walk for at least another week.

If you have to be confined to home then I always think that November is the one - so dreary and damp. So stay cosy and regain your strength.

Granny Sue said...

Welcome back, Weaver! I have so missed your posts--and I am so behind on reading my favorite blogs as we have had visitors-such a rarity!--to make apple butter and now for the deer hunting. Thankfully, all safe people, no fears of catching anything. We had a regular mouse invasion last year, and cleared them out with glue traps, which I hated. But they were effective, I have to admit. I felt so sorry for the little things, but my goodness they could do some damage.

Tom Stephenson said...

If ever I set a trap for you Weave, I will stick a Bounty bar into the jaws of it. If ever you want to set a trap for me, stick one of those bikini-clad women on a palm-fringed beach that used to advertise them in the jaws of mine.

Ellen D. said...

We had snow early this morning and the rest of the day just a non-stop dreary, dripping rain. Chills my bones!
Glad to hear you are getting help with your recovery. It is difficult to be patient but you are right that it takes time after the major surgery you had. As far as COVID, here in the US I've been sticking close to home since last March! Our numbers have never been that great as some people do not want to be careful.
Maybe by Spring it will be safer and we will be out and about more and you can enjoy your garden with Percy leading the way. Here's hoping!

Heather said...

I thought mice were supposed to like cheese.
You are in the safest place just now, away from all the germs, and no doubt your carers are vigilant and have been tested.
I love Bounty bars and think the dark chocolate ones are best. My father loved them too.
Keep warm and safe.

Bettina Groh said...

definitely peanut butter... but the crunchy type that the mice actually have to chew. One of my last visits to my Mother up in Nova Scotia I laid traps with peanut butter all over... and you could hear the snap when one was caught. I felt like a "great white hunter" as I unloaded the traps out into the farm yard for the feral cats to enjoy!!

John Going Gently said...

Can you send me your address again pat x

Anonymous said...

Chocolate is the best bait for mice.

JanF said...

Just like Heather, I had heard of , and used, cheese to catch mice. We had two little live traps, when we caught them we ferried them to the nearby nature reserve! Here we don't have mice in the house but we have huge house spiders- ugh. We catch those too and take them outside to make the best of it. I tell them they are lucky!

Susan said...

I was surprised to hear your crocus are popping up. Maybe we will have a mild Winter and early Spring. Your caregivers sound very attentive to the COVID rules and this is important. Mouse problems are pretty common everywhere unless you have a cat. I set a few traps using peanut butter and sunflower seeds and then I found a mouse repelling device that you plug in to a wall outlet. This device emits a high frequency signal that repels mice. I caught two mice in the traps and continue with the wall device.

Joanne Noragon said...

I suppose the mice are in your house and must be caught. Poor fellows, I hope they hold out for more than raisins.

Penny said...

On the other side of the world we are heating up. We expect about 40 degrees C on Friday and Saturday. Days to stay inside, early morning (7 am ) beach walks. I try to find things to do but I don't enjoy it, and my feet swell!

AK Coldweather said...

I didn't see even a peek of blue in today's sky. Foggy and gray. But seeing a regular post from you brightens the day! -A.K.

Cro Magnon said...

We are being led to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel, so let's keep our fingers crossed. My advice would be to continue being very vigilant. Keep away from others, wash hands as necessary, and wear a mask when out.

Still lovely here. I am a traditionalist, and use cheese in the traps.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Might try cheese Cro as t
they are completely ignoring the traps - suspect they dance round them at night.
ua
Oh dear Tom you'll never change (I don't want you to!)

I shall now suggest my carers use a different kind of bait in every trap. Watch this space
Thanks everyone for keeping my
spirits up

Sue said...

We use old crackers in our mouse traps, they work a treat, any out of date or stale ones are fine ... the mice we have caught have never objected!!

CharlotteP said...

Yes, chocolate will tempt the pickiest mouse!

Sol said...

Re: the mice -we have used cheap chocolate spread before. My cousin swears by cooked bacon as he cant use poison. he said since he has a plug in of some description now and they havent come back, it must emit a noise or a smell I would suppose. He has one in each room down stairs.

Minigranny said...

Mice seemed to love my daughter's dolls and chewed off only their noses - many years ago. So glad you're being looked after well!!! Take care Weave X

Brenda said...

prayers for recovery

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks to you all. See you tomorrow. x

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