Mouse Poop in the Lampshade!

When I had been here about a month, Mom told me she had mice in her bedroom walls and in the bed! WHAT? Yeh, they’re in the walls and in her mattress. They are also in the fold-out couch. I told Sis about it and she said she’s listened to that for years and no, there aren’t any mice anywhere.

Mom insisted there was, that she could hear them at night. So, I walked around the mobile home and looked for anything that might cause that kind of noise. Sure enough, there was a small bush that scraped against the side of the house and, underneath the house, there were thick stick-like weeds that would scrape under the house when it was windy --which is pretty much a daily occurrence here in good ol’ West Texas. I trimmed back the bush and pulled the weeds.

2 days later, I asked Mom if she still the heard the noises at night and she said the noises did stop but that didn’t mean the mice weren’t still there. I have found no droppings, no evidence of any kind of mice inhabitants. Besides that, with Goody here I’m sure the mice would leave or she’d get them. After all those years on the streets I’m sure she’s a great mouser!

When brother D stayed here for a month, he slept on the fold-out couch. Every day, when he folded it back up, he’d notice that it was farther from the wall than it was previously. Mom asked him what in the world was making that couch scoot out from the wall like that? While he knew it was because of the folding and unfolding every day, he told her that the mice had lived there for so long and had such a good supply of food that they were able to build up their muscles to the point they became strong enough to push the couch out from the wall.

Her reply ...”You’re NOT funny!”

We’ve had many a good laugh over that one.

Yesterday, while I was gone to the store, Sis J was with Mom. Mom asked her to dust the living room tables. While she was doing that, Mom asked her to take off the lampshades and clean them.
She said there was mouse poop in the shades.

Sis said, “Say what?”
“There’s mouse poop in the lampshades.”
“Mom, there isn’t any mouse poop in the lampshade.”
“Yes, there is! A whole bunch of it!”
“Mom, the mice are not going to climb up a lamp and poop in the lampshade.”
“You take off my lampshade and you’ll see them.”
J took off the lampshade and inspected it.
“Mom, these are dead bugs, the little gnats that fly around the light bulb at night.”
“No they’re not! Those are mouse poopings! Now, just clean it out and quit arguing with me!”

Fine! So, it has been established that mice poop in lampshades, live in the bed mattress, and live in the couch. Any of these scenarios are very possible as anyone with a mouse problem knows. But, in this case, there is no evidence or sightings whatsoever in the 8 months I’ve been here.

Next thing ya know, they’ll be nesting in her hair.

---What you have read is the God’s honest truth. Trust me, I couldn’t make this stuff up!---

I'm Melting!

And, yes, I’ve somehow become the Wicked Witch of the West!

This past Wednesday, the temperature had soared to 80 degrees! I would be fine with this for a day or 2 but checked the 10-day weather report and it was going to be HOT for a week with a little break for a couple days then HOT again for days and days.

This mobile home is the typical ‘metal box’ and heat absorbed into it in no time. We had the screen on the front door and that was all. None of the windows (old roll-out type) open in this house except for one in my bedroom. They are all rusted/corroded shut and haven’t been open in over 20 years. I just don’t ‘get that’! How can someone live without ever opening their windows for fresh air?

I told Mom the weather forecast and suggested we get the air conditioning going. She said it was way too early in the season and we always have snow on Easter so, no, we weren’t going to turn it on yet. I explained, again, the weather report --no more snow, just hot, hot, hot! She insisted it was going to snow and that’s the end of that!

I tried to just shut up and take the heat but by afternoon, I was pouring sweat. Add the occasional hot flash and I was miserable. I put the fan in the living room but all it did was stir around the hot air. Mom was sweating,  also, and changed into shorts and a sleeveless blouse but still sweating and uncomfortable and still adamant that there was no need for the AC yet. Sis came over later and said “My God! It feels like a furnace in here, why don’t you have the AC on?” I told her to ask Mom. She did, and got the same argument. She told Mom it didn’t matter if it was going to snow on Easter, it was hot NOW and she needed to get that AC on.

Sis called brother N to come down and do the yearly maintenance on the AC and get it turned on. He came in and exclaimed about how hot it was in here. Mom said nothing to him. But, while he was outside getting the AC ready, she told me and Sis and that he could do the maintenance on it but we were NOT going to turn it on! “I’ve never in my life ever turned on the AC in April! I never turn it on until June!” We argued that there was no way we were waiting until June, we’d have a heat stroke!

N came in later and said it was ready to go. Mom said, “Don’t you turn that on! It’s too early!” So, he had pretty much the same argument us girls had with her and she just sighed and clammed up. N turned on the AC and we had blessed relief within minutes.

Mom has always paid N for whatever work he does around the house but later, during a card game, she asked me how much I was going to pay him!!! I very calmly stated “Whatever he wants!!” I was not going to play her game!

She didn’t speak to me or Sis for 2 days and the atmosphere was very tense. We were evil beings who dared to defy her kingdom! But, all is well, now, and she is appreciating the cool air.

Tomorrow is Easter --- weather forecast is a high of 90 and sunny.