The Brave Little Mouse

I love the outdoors.  I love the sunshine, hiking through the woods, the smell of pine needles, and warm summer breezes.  I do not, however, love everything that nature has to offer.  I detest bugs, especially ticks and mosquitoes! The only other things I have a difficult time with are snakes and mice.  I had adventures with all four of these creatures while camping in our little vintage travel trailer.  Our property was way out in the country and we had to keep the grass cut short to keep the tics off of us.  Although we concocted a little recipe to keep the ticks at bay, we always would come home and find a few that evidently didn't mind our concoction.  Lemon eucalyptus oil is my favorite one to use, because I like the way it smells best, but geranium essential oil, lavender, citronella and cedar wood oils also have insect-repelling properties in them. Mixing them with non-volatile agents like witch hazel extract or soybean oil help as a carrier for the oils.

The snake encounter was one that still sets my heart to beating whenever I think about it.  The area that our property isolated in is a rocky area of North Eastern Kansas, and is known for having copperheads around.  Lucky for me copperheads defense it to freeze when danger is near, had it been to strike, it would have gotten me for sure.  We were picking up rocks around the property to use to make a fire pit, and I bent down to pick up a rock.  Right there not even 5 inches from my hand, staring me in the face, was a copperhead about 4ft in size. I jumped back as quickly as I could, got up on our deck, and remained there creeped out until it was time to head home.

We all know mice like to climb in our little travel trailers and make themselves at home.  I'm ok with that.  I don't necessarily enjoy it, but as long as I don't have to see them, and they keep to themselves, it's all good. 

Well this weekend we decided to head up to the property for some peace and quite,rest and relaxation.  We had smores by the campfire and was enjoying the beautiful evening.  It was time to call it a night, since I enjoy reading, I snuggled up in bed, and was really enjoying a good book, when all of the sudden a brave little mouse jumped on my shoulder, ran down my arm across the bed and scurried away.  Well, to say I was freaked out doesn't even come close to describing what I was.  When I say I don't like mice, that is putting it mildly.  When my husband and I first got married, there was a mouse in our apartment, (I called this one the flying devil mouse from hell) I made my husband and I leave and we went to spend the night at his moms.  I can become paralyzed with fear, and although not very rational, it is still the case. Needless to say, we packed up all our gear and headed for home at 11:30 at night, because I refused to sleep in the same room with a mouse who was brave enough to walk all over me.

I recently read that mice do not like the smell of peppermint.  If you happen to have some peppermint essential oils around, put a dab or two on a cotton ball and hide them around your travel trailer.