apparently in this house the creature was stirring…

I have been away for the holidays, in the mountains, where the internet is slow, especially when you put three kids and then some on an already slow network. Hence my not blogging. Chalk it up to vacation, so I excuse myself from not writing daily.

The family, with the exception of me, has been skiing. I have been hiking with the canine children. I vow someday to get on skis, yet leaving the serenity of the woods proves difficult.

I am home now with all the canine kids and the female half of the family. My poor editor, the cat, was home alone for the holidays being attended to by neighbor friends. While away, the cat was allowed the same free roam of the house, with the exception of the bedrooms and the basement, but he had the freedom to roam without the chase game that the dogs like to play with him.

I have to say that I love the woods. I love the uncertainty of the animals that I might meet. I saw deer off the trail, and while they startled me, I loved their uncertainty in their natural habitat. I even once saw a raccoon asleep in a dumpster while I threw out the trash, and as startling as that was, he was in his own habitat. I can appreciate these animals, and I love animals, but I appreciate them in their own home.

Tonight, after giving ample make up love to the cat, I let him out since he has been cooped up since we left. Upon walking back from the outside door of the garage to the connecting house door, there he was. The bullying mouse. I saw his fast slinking motion, just the tail end, as he scurried out of my way. Now, in the woods when I see a random animal I might have a sharp intake of breath at the realization I am not alone in the woods, then I stop to take in the beauty of the creature at hand. In my garage, there is none of that. I scream like a little girl and run at the quick sight of this un-predictable, un-invited guest. I am not scared of mice. I just hate the uncertainty of them, plus they were not invited.

Four legs and fur. That is always my motto to my children on animals allowed in the house. My son wants a bird. I told him he can have one when I move to Maine. But when are you moving to Maine, they ask? Never. But if I do, you can have a bird.

Yes, I allow fish, and we have a frog that will not die. At one point in my life I considered myself a snail breeder when another neighbor gave me one snail. I was so fascinated with the way they reproduced, eggs on the side of the tank, and then little baby snails all over, that I found myself with tanks all over my dining room. Every child that year got a snail for their birthday, I think my children lost out on a lot of birthday parties that year.

My daughter wanted a guinea pig for Christmas this year, but we are maxed out on animals. It was hard enough having four dogs, three kids, and four adults in a ski house! I had a conversation with Santa and informed him now was not the time, while she was upset,  she is now asking for a goat. If she can capture the bullying mouse, which I really hope is just a mouse, she can keep it, because apparently the cat is useless as a hunter.

So I am not big on resolutions, because apparently as you can tell, I am not good at keeping them. But. I vow 2014 to be the year of the mouse.