in NC and no stow-away

Well, we're in North Carolina now visiting Michael and Amy (Melissa's brother and sister-in-law). I got a live-catch trap to try to apprehend our mouse stow away. But as you can see, the trap remains unsprung. As best we can figure, it must have jump ship in Arkansas -- but we'll never know for sure.


Near Michael and Amy's apartment, there is a lake (with tons of seagulls).


And we went for a picnic in the local state park

mouse-o-meal

On the plate last night...

a dried cherry
a piece of dried mango
an almond
a slice of zucchini
a piece of fresh apple
a piece of bread

This morning... the cherry and zucchini are still there -- all else is gone

our mouse stow away

So the mouse has made itself comfortable. Last night, we heard it tearing at cardboard. I guess if it didn't want to stick around, it would have jumped ship days ago.

Here's tonight's dinner plate

mousetrap... sprung

Something I forgot to mention was that we picked up a hitchiker in Quartzite. On the last night we were there, there was tiny grunting and chewing sounds around the place we keep our bread, etc. In the middle of the night (with much complaining) I looked around with a flashlight, and in the bottom of a box, for just a moment, I saw a dark-grey mouse.
This has happened before (on a previous trip). And last time the mouse jumped ship before we left. But not this mouse. So each night since... more tiny grunting and chewing. Well last night I set a trap -- a large plastic container held up in the middle with a stick (precariously balancing the container -- i.e. the trigger), and tied to the stick was a pistachio. Well this morning, the trap was sprung! And the stick... well...it ate the nut, and yet got out. So now, the saga continues.