A Little Too Much Nature

We're been having a Wild Kingdom kind of week around here.

Outside, the usual assortment of rabbits, woodchucks, and a raccoon (the rabbits tend to leave the garden alone, believe it or not, but the woodchucks...I'm having to spend close to $500 on a new shiny better fence).

Inside, a workman moved my stove last week, and must have disturbed a mouse nest, because my cats have caught FIVE (count them, five) mice over the course of the last four days. Each time involves me chasing after the cat (or cats) with a shoebox in hand, trying to rescue the mouse before it is murdalized--something at which I have had mixed success. The mouse is then removed to the outside world, where it belongs.

Because this apparently wasn't enough for Mother Nature, who clearly needs to get a TIVO or something else to provide her with entertainment besides me chasing critters all over my house, this morning, the cats cornered THIS in the bedroom.

It's a harmless garter snake -- they're all over my property, and I don't mind them much when they are OUTSIDE. It must have come through a crack in my stone foundation...which I will now have to find and block off. I caught it fairly easily with the shoebox you can see in the picture (which had previously been used for all five freaking mice) and a pair of kitchen tongs. Note to self: wash kitchen tongs.

I have a --I think very reasonable-- NO SNAKES INSIDE rule. This is just a little too much nature for me, thank you very much. Gah.

Going outside to work in the garden now. You know, where nature actually is supposed to be.