Heroes of a Different Sort

I’m surprised the neighbors didn’t dial 911 yesterday around 1:00pm…

Toby Mac blared while I washed dishes.  My 13yo bee-bopped to the tunes while picking up the living room.   Singing and dancing to Toby proves Mary Poppins correct; music does help the housework get done.  Hard at work, we paid no attention to the cat.

“Mom, I think Prissy has a mouse.”  I heard coming from the living room.

Turning off the water, I dried my hands and walked into the dining room to inspect the situation.  Sure nuff, the cat had a mouse… a big one.  I started hopping around trying to jog my brain into action.  Grabbing a plastic bowl, I decided to go for it.  Of course, my cat isn’t stupid.  She saw me running towards her with a bowl.  She panicked and dropped the mouse at my feet.  I screamed throwing the bowl into the air and ran to the other side of the table.  My 13yo screamed as the mouse darted her way.  Composing myself, I watched the fury little thing go under a cabinet.  Determined to catch the thing, I grabbed the cat and pulled the cabinet from the wall.  I threw the cat behind it and the chase was on…  The cat lunged.  The mouse scrambled.  Us gals screamed!  This went on forever.

I’m sure the cat was thinking, “If you two would just stop screaming and let me do my job…”  Our two spaniels, Fred and Ginger, were sitting watching the whole commotion.  The mouse scooted across the dining room floor straight for the dogs.  Ginger leapt into action.  She chased the mouse.  Fred ran around behind Ginger.  He had no idea what was going on..he thought it was fun running behind Ginger.

So now it was like a game of pinball..the mouse being the ball..  The cat batted.  Ginger snapped at it.  13yo jumping and screaming.  I ran in place like in Flashdance screaming my head off!  And Fred..well..was confused as to what was really going on..  From outside our home, I’m sure it sounded like a scene from CSI.  Finally, the cat got bored and abandoned us.  Fred wore out and laid down (he’s an old dog).  But, Ginger saved the day.  She caught the mouse!!  Us two leggers were so proud!!  Ginger wagged her tail and it was obvious she knew she had done good.  Fred snoozed.  And Prissy, the cat, pouted…that was supposed to be HER mouse.

All day we referred to Ginger as our Hero..

Early this morning, I was out working in the flowerbed.  I heard the “big boys,” Domino and Stuart (our labs), barking.  I toted my first load of weeds to the compost pile which was near the barking dogs.  I scolded them and told them to hush.  They ignored me and began diving at the ground.

“They caught another mole..” I grumbled under my breath and went back to weeding.

After about 30 minutes of the barking, I had enough.  I stomped around back and yelled at them to stop barking.  They didn’t acknowledge me and kept barking.  The closer I got to them the stranger their bark became.  They both were jumping at something on the ground.  I was within a couple of feet of the dogs when I saw the big copperhead coiled in between the two boys.  I hate snakes anyway but a copperhead…. Before I could turn around to get Mark, the snake struck Stuart.  I ran as fast as I could across the yard and into the house.  All I could think of was that just yesterday, my son was playing right where the snake was found.

Thank God Mark was home!  He got the shovel and took care of the mean old snake.  I never hugged those big boys as hard as I did this morning.  I was so proud of them.  I looked them over really good for bite marks and I didn’t find any!  Praise the Lord!!  Needless to say, I buying them some nice big bones today!!  They deserve it.

It is times like these.. mouse catching and snake finding..that I am glad I have dogs and my cat.  We love and care for them and in return they slip into their super hero suits to save the day.

God Bless..