But this time, I was determined, would be the exception. It was the time I had said I would leave the house, and I was going to leave the house right then, by golly. Only the dishes weren't washed, and I hate to leave dirty dishes when I go on a trip. But see, I knew that if I washed them, I would somehow lose another hour.
So I left the dishes. And when I got back, a few days later, the house smelled terrible. Well, you see, I told myself, that's what happens. Now you know. And I was so tired that I walked right past the kitchen sink and went to bed, and as I fell asleep, I thought, man, this house reeks.
Of course, the next day I washed the dishes, and they were definitely icky. But the day was nice enough to open some doors and windows, so I aired out the house, which made everything much better.
But the next day, when I got home, there was still that smell. And it had evolved into something I actually recognized: it smelled like dead things. Also, it was now discernably coming up from the basement.
I don't have a real basement. I have a crawlspace under about 2/3 of my house, and the other 1/3 is a sort of cellar, with a hot water heater and furnace in it. It's not exactly a place you'd want to hang out in. Many guests, when I point it out to them, refuse to even enter. I think it's cool, in a creepy way, but I still don't go down there unless I have to.
But now I had to. I had to go under the house and find out what was rotting down there. I hoped it was just a mouse, but a rat would be okay. Squirrel, I could handle. What I really didn't want it to be was a cat or a possum or even a raccoon. And I didn't want it to be way back in the crawlspace, because even though it has "crawl" in the name, I am not convinced it is a good place for crawling. At all.
I had time to think about all this as I gathered rubber gloves and plastic bags, put on my boots and grabbed a flashlight. I lifted the hatch in the back porch, edged down the ladder, swung open the basement door slowly... and grimaced.
There were five mice on the floor, sprawled in full view, as though passed out after a particularly wild mouse party.
Five! Why so many? What were they all doing there? None showed signs of injury, and I've never put out poison bait. A further search of the basement revealed another one higher up, at the edge of the crawlspace near the furnace. Six dead mice. I bagged them, counting them off aloud as I did so: "That's three, and three left to go. Only two left..." trying to distract myself from noticing what they felt like in my gloved and plastic-bag-covered hand.
I still don't know what killed them. I suppose it must have been poison. Maybe the neighbors put some out; I don't know. I'm just hoping this takes care of most of the odor. I'm pretty sure I didn't get them all; the last couple days when I got home from work, my house smelled like someone had been cooking meat. This probably means that there is one on (or in) a heating duct somewhere, slowly turning to mouse jerky.
But I don't intend to go hunting for it.
* * *
My cousin has an art show here in Portland this Thursday that you should know about. The show features three artists, and "will include encaustic paintings of abstract landscapes, and mandalas, sensual photographic works, botanically inspired, functional steel sculptures, art books that unfold like flowers, glass jewelry, wearable textile designs, and much more." I know she's responsible for at least the encaustic paintings, mandalas, and flower-like books, and that they are wondrous and well worth seeing, but the rest of it sounds pretty interesting too. The show is from 5-9pm at Rust, 1600 NE Alberta St.
I think my cousin may also be playing the violin at this show, as it is supposed to involve "flamenco guitar and gypsy violin." So here is some gypsy violin she recorded with a band she plays with:
Ginggang - Mercury Vapors
Ginggang - The Numbers
Ginggang - Zodiac City
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6 comments:
Eww. And I mean that. I've lived with cats, who were responsible for leaving Dead Things about the house. So I understand (although I never had to deal with six mice at once). I hope the aroma fades quickly; it's no fun to have around.
Oh dear. Oh dear. Ohdearohdearohdear. I cannot DEAL with rodents, dead or otherwise. You are officially my hero for handling that grossness yourself. I would have cried, then vomited, then called everyone I ever met till I found someone willing to rid my house of the now-vomit-coated mouse carcasses. Because EW! to the millionth power.
You are The Woman. But I'm never coming to your house or touching your hands again. Love you, though.
Oh my.....
What a tail...er...tale!
And gina, you are hysterically funny!!!
Oh, Lindsay...ick.
I can totally relate though...one of my neighbors has a cat that is a supreme little huntress. She has brought us at LEAST 30 rats in the year we have lived here. Also, 2 birds and a squirrel! Yuck. Needless to say, I have to search the yard before our 2 year old goes out to play.
Loved the blog (I found you through Aaron's).
Ok can do you one better. A few years ago i was doing the "girlfriend" thing of doing some spring cleaning around my boyfriends apartment. Several months before, he had an incident where several field mice had moved in, had babies whatever have ya.
Well i lifted up the sofa and was doing some cleanign, picked up something that looked like a hairball (you know how kids get when they clean out the brush). So i picked it up and then i realized that it was soft and squishy. EEOWWW EEOWW Yuk Yuk. A worse story yet was that my mom had problems with field mice and my sister and her husband were living with her, i think for the first time (currently they are on thier third). And there was this real toxic smell that seemed to be eminating from their bedroom. Evidently they had set a trap underneath thier dresser and had forgotten about it. The trap had gone off and killed the mouse. The mouse had started to deteriate, hence the rank odor. More sick is that the chemical deteriation of the mouse had started to interact with the stain on my mothers hardwood floor, looked like a chalk outline of a mouse.
BTW This is Jana, from the camp achives.
Ok can do you one better. A few years ago i was doing the "girlfriend" thing of doing some spring cleaning around my boyfriends apartment. Several months before, he had an incident where several field mice had moved in, had babies whatever have ya.
Well i lifted up the sofa and was doing some cleanign, picked up something that looked like a hairball (you know how kids get when they clean out the brush). So i picked it up and then i realized that it was soft and squishy. EEOWWW EEOWW Yuk Yuk. A worse story yet was that my mom had problems with field mice and my sister and her husband were living with her, i think for the first time (currently they are on thier third). And there was this real toxic smell that seemed to be eminating from their bedroom. Evidently they had set a trap underneath thier dresser and had forgotten about it. The trap had gone off and killed the mouse. The mouse had started to deteriate, hence the rank odor. More sick is that the chemical deteriation of the mouse had started to interact with the stain on my mothers hardwood floor, looked like a chalk outline of a mouse.
BTW This is Jana, from the camp achives.
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