Monday, March 19, 2012

The Visitors

Those of you who know me well, know that I'm pretty organized and a list maker. So several weeks ago it was time to clean the RV. I wanted to reorganize so that I could evaluate and make some more lists. :0) I also wanted to make sure that nothing had frozen or exploded because I hadn't taken any toiletries out. We usually leave the camper fully stocked. This is our first year with the camper parked in Maine. In Florida we didn't have to worry about those sort of things. 

Turns out we had more to worry about than exploding toiletries. Those of you who are used to living in cold climates probably already know what I am going to say. (Do I have to say it ?) OK, here goes … a family had moved into our camper. Apparently, they loved it. There was evidence of them everywhere. Turns out they love toilet paper and paper towels. Who knew? (Apparently everyone knew not to leave paper products or any trace of food but me.) EVERYTHING came out of the camper. Everything was scrubbed washed, sanitized, disinfected, cleaned, purified … you get the idea. 

Next came the discussion of how to get them out and keep them out. Internet said moth balls. So we got moth balls. Have you ever read the back of a box of moth balls? So then I read about "Bounce" sheets, perfect. Keep the visitors from returning and it smells like clean laundry. But what if they liked the bounce too? So we got the traps. The kind where they go in and you don't see anything. You are supposed to set them with peanut butter (in the snack drawer that I may or may not have forgotten to empty, the ONLY thing that was not touched were individual little containers of peanut butter) so we did and … nothing. Ted went out and bought the old fashioned kind. The ones that snap (ugh). Ted put them in and as I was cleaning out the camper again, the girls came in. "What are those Mommy?" So I explained that they were used to relocate the visitors And the girls went merrily on their way . Fast forward to bed time. Girls come running to me "Mommy, Mommy. Daddy says those traps are used to KILL the mice!" OK, lets pause a minute here… all of my kids know and love Ralph S. Mouse, Mrs. Frisby, Despereaux, Christopher Mouse, Abel (Abels Island), and Matthias (Redwall). They also have been taught to harm no living thing. Umm...deep breath... TED!!!