The house that Jaren and I live in was built in 1975, so it's 33 years old. It's on their farm and he grew up in this house till he was 12 years old. His parents built a new home and then another family moved into this one. Once they moved out the house was unoccupied for 10 years. It was basically used as a storage unit.
The first time Jaren brought me out here to see it it was night so I couldn't see very well. We had just gotten engaged 5 days before. My first thoughts were... this is WAY out here in the boonies (I was correct). Then he pulled up and the lights caught this beautiful scene.....
Split level (great... hate those things... Do I go up, or down?? I can't choose!!!!)
Overgrown bushes covering all the basement windows and sprawling out over the sidewalk onto the lawn. (eeewww... I know they are spider infested. I HATE spiders!!!)
So we walk up and Jaren opens the door and flips on the light.....
70's decor everywhere... couches, boxes, random things all over the place. I can't tell what's downstairs but I can see there is no carpet, just cement and probably more stuff(I was right). Upstairs there is white dirty carpet and.. no... no no no no, PANELED WALLS!!!!! Needless to say I asked Jaren multiple times.... "Were living HERE??"
"Yes."
"Do we have to?"
"No, but if you'd like a significantly lower rate you'll live here."
"Uhhhhhhh... all RIGHT"
"It was a very nice house when I lived here."
"Fifteen years ago...."
I knew that they were going to renovate so as we walked through I asked... "Can we get new closet doors?" (they were the accordion type.. I'm not a fan)
"Yes"(Uh huh, still has yet to happen)
"Can we take off the paneling? (Ohhh please please please!!!)
"Yes" (It wouldn't actually come off, so they drywalled the whole thing, plastered, painted and it really looks like a completely different home)
"New Carpet?"
"Yes"(I love love love my carpet!!!!)
The kitchen was the most scary of them all. Small, sort of a gallery thing and all of the appliances were all there. Dusty, old and scaring me half to death.
"New Kitchen?"(See if you ever get me to cook on those...)
"Yes"(SCORE!)
And so there it was... I wont even mention the bathrooms. The one plus (besides the fact we were getting a house that was going to be fixed up) was the fireplace (nope.. not even used it yet... something about a fire hazard?) As we walked around and as the renovations took place I noticed mouse poo everywhere but thought of course there were bound to have been mice here. I'm in the middle of nowhere and this has been unoccupied for EVER. I also asked if we could bug bomb the thing.. cause eeeck, spiders! He initially told me we could probably do it, but it didn't get done and we spent the first 3 months setting traps and finding the eight legged daemons everywhere. Luckily, I don't think I ever got bit.
We also got new windows, siding, a completely new kitchen, and roof. But.. that isnt even the reason I am posting.
One night, after we had lived here for about 2 months, we were sitting quietly on the couches. I was doing homework and Jaren was reading when out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw something by the fireplace. I look up and AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! A mouse!!!! I screamed, it scadoodled, Jaren lost 2 years off his life and we both jumped up and ran over to try and catch it.
Now... you see, I'm not afraid of mice. Not at all. I'd rather they not bite me, but my fear of spiders is on a much more epic level. We couldn't catch the darn thing and it found a small hole in the bottom corner of our wall of cabinets (I guess you could call it our pantry). So Jaren stuffed the hole with some stuff so it wouldn't get out so we could get traps the next day.
We purchased many traps over the next 4 months and caught tons and tons of mice. I couldn't believe it. I was so grossed and bothered that there were so many. I counted. 25. TWENTY FIVE WHOLE MOUSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We used all sorts of traps: snap traps, sticky traps, catch all traps, and our own creations. The only thing that didn't catch any mice was the catch-all. It's a small metal box that has a hole for a mouse to crawl in and then it will continue through the mechanisms and then it's trapped!
I thought I'd be clever and put peanut butter in there to lure the unsuspecting victims to their demise. No such luck. Well, the mice stopped being caught and we eventually cleaned the house of the infestation.
Tuesday Night.
Same thing, but watching TV with my friend Jessica, and Jaren was reading on the couch. He put his recliner down and his eyes got real big and he sat still and was staring at my blanket(I'm always wrapped in a blanket). "Where?! Where is the SPIDER! Do you see a spider?!?!!?!" (as I'm trying not to jump up and run for my life).
"I think..... I think I saw..... THERE IT IS!!!" A mouse runs over to the fire place from the couch and runs strait for the pantry.
"GET IT!!! Before it goes in the hole!!" Nope... it went in.
Were pretty sure it came in when Jessica was coming in. Drawn by the light from our house and it was cold outside so it would have been all warm and toasty. You know, seemingly welcoming. Jaren said he'd get a trap the next day.
Wednesday.
Forgot about the trap. Forgot about the mouse.
Thursday(today).
I was walking by our back door and looked out onto the deck and there was the silver catch all trap out side the door.
"Jaren.... why is the trap outside?"
"Well, I woke up this morning and heard this, clickity clickity clickty.... So I opened the closet and peeked in the catch all and there he was."
HAHAHAHAHA, I couldn't stop laughing. So funny that the mouse randomly found the trap in the closet with the crusted over peanut butter from over a year ago and went in. The trap that couldn't..... finally did. Jaren is going to release him out far far away in a field. He's just a little guy.......
SqueakyYep.. I named him. And the nasty crusted over peanut butter. At least he has some food.
12 comments:
Whitney.. you think it came in with Jessica.. but I'm sure you'll find some little cousins later. :)
whit! Thats crazy about all the mice!! But that pic at the end makes them look so cute!! Were you ever there when we found that mouse in the softball shed over at the stake center and stevie wanted to smash it with a bat but I took it out to the field and released it?? That was funny!! Well glad you caught it!!
Ew, I hate all rodents and insects, yes even widdle bunny wabbits and ladybugs. One time at may parents house I opened the knife draw, reached in to grab a knife but touched a mouse instead. I slammed the drawer while he was trying to escape and his tail got stuck. He was just dangling upside down from the drawer while I was jumping up and down screaming,just like in the cartoons.
Holy cow! that's the longest word verification word I've ever seen. Well, here goes better get typing.
I don't think I've ever seen a mouse in the "wild." I think it would freak me out, initially, especially 25 of them.
Eeeewww. I hate, hate, hate mice. We've had some because we also live in the boonies and usually peanut butter does the trick.
I also hate spiders. My nephew was once bitten by a black widow and that was scary.
Fun blog.
I. HATE. MICE!!!! They are the most DISGUSTING, NASTY, ROTTEN buggers ever! I can handle spiders but mice--NO WAY!! I can't beleive that as I scrolled down your post in the end there was an atrocity that made me barfo (thanks Ramona for the term) in my mouth! And you named him...oh my dear sweet Whitney! It's a good thing I really like you!! (0:
Oh yeah--I forgot to say that where there is one there are many. The re-populate like crazy--nasty things!! Have you ever watched Exterminator on the Discovery channel? Oh they are gross little buggars! YUCK--did I mention that I HATE mice?
Ok so I have to admit that I'm one of the blog stalkers. Our husbands actually know each other. Ask Jaren about Travis Mortensen. I was introduced to your blog by Emily Kinghorn. I have had so much fun reading your blog and thought it was time to come out of the shadows. It’s nice to be in the sun. I can’t wait to learn more about you and hopefully meet in person. When we can all get our husbands together again! Oh ya as for the mice YUCK! I hate mice. We used to live out in Salem, had a mice infestation. NOT FUN!!!
Trudy
25? TWENTY FIVE???? I just threw up in my mouth and will not leave my tall bed for a very long time. Maybe not at all today.
I hate mice. Really, I hate most small things that are crawly. Mice poop freaks me out. Our old house has a few pop up every once in a while- we did the mouse poison which works okay, but my advice to you is ..... CATS. They really work, and if you just keep some food out back on the porch they are pretty good to stay around.
and BTW- if you ever have had one die that you couldn't find you can testify to this statement.... NOTHING smells like a dead mouse that has sat and stiffened.
Sad, your picture is actually kind of cute.
Mom, Jillene, and Ramona - Once we got our new siding the mice infestation stopped. We're pretty sure it plugged any holes. And, there are 2 tom cats around our yard that we also think have taken it upon themselves to clean up our yard. So.. hopefully this was just one little guy that made it in when the door was open for 2 minutes. Cause.... it's been over a year and we haven't seen any...
Ramona - Oh yeah, I know the smell.... There's a small linen closet I'm still trying to rid the smell of. And there's a room in our basement we are going to Ozone. Reason #1 I'm excited to build a home someday... (when I have the kids to fill it)
Ann Marie - I don't believe I was there, but I do remember the story. Thanks for rescuing him cause that would have been gross to have poor mickey smeared all over the floor. eeeehhhh
Mary - Did anyone have a video camera? And... sorry about the verification.. I don't want spam comments!
Kristina - Have you always lived in the city? haha
Rebecca - I shudder at the thought of that poor little boy getting bit. I hope everything turned out okay. I have had a bad spider biting experience, myself. Not sure what bit me, though. I did have to go to the doc. And thanks!
Jillene - I'm glad our friendship can outlast a picture of Squeaky ;)
Trudy - Glad you found me and decided to come out in the open! I agree with everything you said.
Julie - I hope you had some snacks.
Arianna - You win cause if ever you are perusing through Rexburg and have no where to stay I have extra rooms!
I'm so proud of you to name it. That reminds me of Jack, the opossum!
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