Through a strange and random incident I have undertaken to store my chocolate in a completely different manner. Last week I had a rather unpleasant surprise when I woke up.
First off, I sleep on my floor out of choice since I think it's more comfortable than a bed. My computer and writing/reading desk have both been modified so that they allow for me to stand up while using them, and all the footwear I use is specifically designed to give a more barefoot-friendly accommodation. To make my bed all I do is set a layer of two blankets on the floor and plant myself on top with another blanket on top of me.
Anyhow, last week I was just going about my morning routine when I noticed there was a strange clump on the edge of my bottom blankets. When I looked at it closely I discovered it was a mouse. It was curled up into a ball with its eyes closed, which means it had been sleeping with me. When I attempted to move it, hoping not to wake it up, I found out it was dead. I don't know by what cause it died, but it's possible I squashed it while rolling over.
How pitiful is it that mice feel so comfortable in my home that they're willing to crawl in my bed and sleep with me? And here I thought my presence would be frightening to them. Nope, I am but a bedmate.
This makes me fret for my chocolate. At the time I had them in a cardboard box. I used to store the chocolates in the fridge, but I fear blooming, crowding, and distorted tastes due to temperature fluctuations, so I wanted to put them in a room temperature climate. My pantry is a no-go since it's directly behind the furnace, and my personal cupboard contains all my herbs and spices. My current setup now is that I have my chocolates stored in my recreation area in a sealed plastic container with an open box of baking soda inside and a blanket covering the top. This should protect from odors, heat, and pests.
I've also set some poison out by my sleeping area, but hopefully any leftover mice don't choose to spend their last moments with yours truly. I'm not frightened, but it does make me paranoid. Good thing I made the original discovery after I had gotten up.
It's amazing how bold those little creatures are. I used to think that thing in the cartoons where they pop out and make raspberries at you was just a joke, but one night I was up late and saw one, and that's exactly what it looks like.
ReplyDeleteOne of my hobbies is making crochet lace, and a lot of the thread I buy is “vintage”, meaning it's been stored in someone's attic for thirty or forty years. As I was crocheting last night I came to the end of a ball, and I had unwound enough of the thread to see down into the ball's cardboard core. There, inside the core against the back side of the label, was a little black dropping and a dark yellow stain. Apparently balls of crochet thread are just the right size for mouse nests. Now I can be thankful that I found only the droppings and not the actual mouse.
That's pretty amazing. Poor mouse, although it could very well have been natural causes. It sounds exactly like what my cats used to do, for companionship and warmth.
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