A Mouse in the “House”, Not a Moose on the Loose

 by Lori-Ann Willey

We humans aren't the only ones adapting as the seasons shift -every creature adjusts in its own way. The mice, for instance, seem to find the tiniest crevices to sneak indoors this time of year, which has me constantly on the lookout for any sign of mouse droppings, even just one. Now, while I’m somewhat “famous” for collecting moose poops for my garden’s benefit and, on occasion, arting them into hand-glossed balls, unfortunately, no moose droppings have made their way inside this year. With my garden beds expanding, those earthy moose poops serve a higher purpose outside -enriching the soil instead as an ingredient in an art project.

That said, it wouldn't shock too many people -Paul and family especially, if a moose poop somehow made its way inside in a plastic bag, pocket, or pail either. Collecting dropped winter moose poops is routine for me, especially when they're dry and filled with chewed twigs, pressed into those cute little oval egg shapes. I’ve no issue gathering them when they’re hard (dry) and fibrous, though if they’re soft from rain, I make a mental note to return for them later with a five-gallon pail, you’ll often spot me heading out, on a mission, gloves or no gloves.

But yesterday, as I sat typing a few thoughts about discovering a mouse poop in the back of the silverware drawer, my fingers fumbled. Instead of typing “mouse,” I accidentally wrote “mouce,” and auto-correct, ever so helpful, missed it entirely. As I went back to fix the mistake, Ai decided that “mouse” wasn’t right either and swapped it out for, you guessed it, “moose.” I had to manually change it back to “mouse” before posting. In the end, though, it didn’t matter. It seems like nearly everyone who commented read it as “moose” anyway!

For those who’ve followed us for some time, I imagine there was no doubt in your mind that what you were reading was true. As strange as it sounded, you all know me too well by now, and I must admit, reading the comments, it gave me a good laugh, too. But just to set the record straight, it was a mouse in the “house”, not a moose on the loose!  Though I have no sense of smell to confirm or deny, all moose poops are “earthy”.   Mouse poops, however, no scent to me, are still “shitty”.   I blame no one for reading my post as Moose Poops.  As a matter of fact, I thank you.  The mouse caught in the live-trap….probably not so much...or maybe so?

"I am what I am and I be who I be", and at our Willey's Dam Camp is where I always want to be.