i feel like i need to start documenting past and present stories of happenings on the farm. i've had some adventures that could make your skin crawl...and still makes my skin crawl.

i think  my dear, sweet cathie said it best: "how are you going to survive out there?"

but i'm doing it! my farmer, my single-wide, my mama mouse, and me = harmony.

long long ago (probably about 3 1/2 years ago if we're getting specific) my farmer had been farming for a few months and i had just returned from my idaho hiatus (i'll tell that story later...it's not chronological). i was thrilled to make the one hour trip from the big city to the farm to spend the weekend with my farmer. upon arrival i thought it would be fun to go for a run together. i was way into running at this point and obsessed with the south beach diet. a real treat to be around, i was. but hey, i had finally lost my college weight.

sorry about the tangents - i'll try to stay on track.

so my farmer and i brought my bags into the single-wide and we changed into our running clothes. we were probably gone for about 45 minutes. during that 45 minutes i had thrown some sort of fit about how i hated running on gravel or i needed farmer to stop trying to make me chat while working out. all my breath was needed for my effort. he's a very patient man. an angel, really.

once back into the single-wide i approached my suitcase. i started pulling out my farm clothes for the day. a pair of jeans, t-shirt...hold that thought! out of my suitcase leaps a large mouse and starts rip-roaring around the bedroom, back over the suitcase and into the bathroom. i immediately leaped on the bed shaking in fear...or disgust...or whatever. THERE WAS A MOUSE IN MY SUITCASE!!

my farmer, being the man of a man that he is, tracked the mouse to the vanity and concluded that mama mouse had escaped through a little hole under the trailer. he immediately filled that hole with some magic foam and i haven't seen a mouse since.

oh, did you think that was the end of the story? it's not.

so farmer had the foam and i was still on the bed. my farmer approached me slowly saying how sorry he was and  realized there was a solid chance i may never visit the farm again. (what was he thinking? i was in it to win it.) when all of a sudden we heard this little "eep eep" noise.

"eep eep."

"eep eep."

my farmer approached my farm nikes (work shoes) and inside, mama mouse had birthed her babies inside my shoe! IN. MY. SHOE!! if memory serves, i believe there were about five babies. with the grace of a ballerina, my farmer scooped my shoe up and whisked it away. i didn't ask any questions, but those baby mice were gone.

my farmer returned and i was still poised on the bed in a karate stance. farmer leaned down toward my farm pants laying on the duvet to check the rest of my clothing out.

"eep eep."

he unfolded the farm pants and there in the creases...ANOTHER BABY MOUSE! sweet mother, i practically fainted at that point.

to summarize - that mama mouse had made a brilliant nest in my suitcase out of my clothing. the clothing she ruined includes:

-two banana republic shirts
-one j. crew sweatshirt
-one pair of pants
-some work shirts

she had an incredibly productive 45 minutes.