I’m sitting out on the deck this morning for my morning ritual. Enjoying the cooler temps and no humidity. I had to bring out my blanket to keep my tootsies warm. iPad in hand, creamer and the coffee pot all in tow for a comfortable hour, of enjoying the play of the sunlight and reading my book.

I am not currently hearing in stereo. I have gotten new hearing aids but, have been having trouble with the fit. One had to be sent back for the third time. Let me tell you hearing aids can be a process but, so worth it, if you have hearing loss. I am wearing one old hearing aid and one new one, so they are not “talking to each other”.

Ok back to my pleasant morning on the deck. I hear a noise like someone is putting cans in the big recycle bin. This bin is stored inside the fence on the opposite side of the house from where I am at. Do you have one of those huge cans on wheels that gets caught in a rut every time you try to push it to the curb? The kind where it is impossible for two people, now three to fill up in a two week period. The kind where you could literally store 2 dead bodies? Yeah that kind of can. The husband is still snoozing and the granddaughter is still downstairs so I am alone. But, am I really.

There it is again. Huge noise, what the heck is going on. It stops. There it is again. Now it sounds like it is coming from the roof. Ok this is just a squirrel running across the pergola. They can make a ton of noise. It stops. There it goes a gain. This is enough, I know there is something trapped inside the recycle bin. I go to inspect but, the lid on the recycle bin is closed. The sound is so huge it sounds like a bear rummaging through the trash. We don’t have bears in eastern NE. Cougar’s yes, bears no! I’m thinking raccoon but how did it get in there with the lid down. My granddaughter comes out and asks what’s wrong. I decide I’m not brave without a broom handle in my hand, and go back up to the deck. This is a job for the husband!!!

The granddaughter and I commune over our shared love of morning sunshine and coffee creamer. She’s writing in her journal and I am reading my book. There it goes again. Hear that I say? What is that? She says it sounds like it’s coming from the small recycle can we keep on the deck. But, this noise is huge. It hadn’t occurred to me that it was coming from there. Remember I am not hearing in stereo. I get up expecting a raccoon to maybe jump out with a hat, smoking a cigar, and wearing a big grin!!! The thing is this is just a tall kitchen trash can, not big enough for a raccoon. With great trepidation I mosey myself over to the can which is currently only holding a few recyclables. I look in, there is nothing unexpected.

Nope not coming from there. I sit back down, all quiet on the northern front. Like clock work there it goes again. The granddaughter says Nanna it is coming from that trash can. Now she gets up and looks inside. Nothing! Wait there it is, it’s a mouse. I start to laugh, how big I say (surly it must be at least rat size) for the racket it was making. No, she says, it’s about 2″!!! I ask her to take it out to the yard and tip it over so it can escape. She looks at me, oh no, not me! She looks at me and says this is a job for Poppy.

May the Monsters in your head remain the size of a mouse, your weekend filled with sunlight and the sweet scent of summer. Quiet moments to treasure, and a good story.

Thanks for stopping

Shelley