Musings on a Small Life

For the first time in his life, Derry caught a mouse and brought it into the house! It was o'dark early on Saturday morning, dreary and drizzly, and Derry had been outside in the enclosed garden for an inordinately long time for such weather. I had just started doing some baking when I saw him at the patio door, wanting back in. I opened the door and he trotted inside before my brain could even register that there was a mouse hanging limply from his mouth! After I realized what he was carrying, I admit I might have become a bit hysterical, between all my shrieking and laughing. I like mice, I'm not afraid of them, but I don't want critter carcasses in my house! Derry made a beeline for the upper stairs and I had visions of mouse parts on or under my bed. But I managed to get him to drop it at the bottom of the steps, near the entryway (and mercifully on bare floor, not carpet), so I picked up poor thing bare-handed and put it outside on the other side of the common walkway...

So I got home and found that Niko, the neighbour's declawed mighty hunter, had caught another bird and left it, uneaten, on the ground by my shrub. This is what, the fourth or fifth bird now? Plus that one rodent he had for breakfast by my welcome mat one morning in the late spring or early summer, leaving the entrails for me. I debated leaving the bird for him to gnaw on at his leisure, but then realized it would attract vermin.  Off I went to fetch a plastic bag, and I scooped it up, a bit disturbed by the vibration from the bag. Gaaggh , I thought, was it still alive? But the neck looked broken. I put the bag down on the step, crossed my fingers the poor bird truly was dead, then opened up the garage door. Picked up the bag...and heard a buzzing, felt another vibration.  OMG, I freaked out! Screamed my fool head off, at the top of my lungs, and threw the bag up in the air and away from me, to have it land half way down my little driveway. Two big flies flew out of the ...

So I was up around 3:40 or so, as usual. Fed the boys and Toby as usual. Left food for Niko too, though Toby tends to eat everything in site. Then later, just before leaving for work, I opened the door to water the plants and there was Niko on my step, happily chomping away on a mole or mouse (no feathers). Right by the welcome mat. Eeeww! I closed the door in a hurry and left him to his yummy meal. When I opened the door a few minutes later, he was right there, almost smiling, having left the entrails. Accck, gross, gross, gross! I had to go out and clean up the mess, pour water on the step to wash off the blood. Gag. I'm really glad Niko's such a mighty hunter, especially considering he's minus his front claws, but I really wish he'd eat his prey on his own doorstep. And now I know why he seldom shows much interest in the canned food I put out. He prefers the real thing! No pic of anything gross, just this sunflower I saw on the way home yesterday. I couldn...