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Sunday, February 20

Boo!

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Normally we keep the hen food in the garage, but a few weeks ago we noticed the sacks were being nibbled away.  I now store the sacks of food in the kitchen cupboard. Today, Jon decided to check the motorbike over as it will need to have an MOT test asap so it will be ready to tax for March 1st. The battery was flat so Jon had to charge it up. When he removed the seat – look what he discovered! A door mouse had made its home there over the winter months. It had nibbled through the plastic bag containing the map book and also part of Jon’s waterproof trousers. I quickly got the camera and captured the moment! He didn’t seem bothered by Jon or myself and Jon checked over the various electrics and wiring to ensure it had not nibbled through anything important It would appear it hadn’t.

The Dormouse and the Doctor by A. A. Milne

There once was a Dormouse who lived in a bed
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red),
And all the day long he'd a wonderful view
Of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue).

A Doctor came hurrying round, and he said:
'Tut-tut, I am sorry to find you in bed.
Just say 'Ninety-nine' while I look at your chest....
Don't you find that chrysanthemums answer the best?'

The Dormouse looked round at the view and replied
(When he'd said 'Ninety-nine') that he'd tried and he'd tried,
And much the most answering things that he knew
Were geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue).

The Doctor stood frowning and shaking his head,
And he took up his shiny silk hat as he said:
'What the patient requires is a change,' and he went
To see some chrysanthemum people in Kent.

The Dormouse lay there, and he gazed at the view
Of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue),
And he knew there was nothing he wanted instead
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red).

The Doctor came back and, to show what he meant,
He had brought some chrysanthemum cuttings from Kent.
'Now these,' he remarked, 'give a much better view
Than geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue).'

They took out their spades and they dug up the bed
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red),
And they planted chrysanthemums (yellow and white).
'And now,' said the Doctor, 'we'll soon have you right.'

The Dormouse looked out, and he said with a sigh:
'I suppose all these people know better than I.
It was silly, perhaps, but I did like the view
Of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue).'

The Doctor came round and examined his chest,
And ordered him Nourishment, Tonics, and Rest.
'How very effective,' he said, as he shook
The thermometer, 'all these chrysanthemums look!'

The Dormouse turned over to shut out the sight
Of the endless chrysanthemums (yellow and white).
'How lovely,' he thought, 'to be back in a bed
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red.)'

The Doctor said, 'Tut! It's another attack!'
And ordered him Milk and Massage-of-the-back,
And Freedom-from-worry and Drives-in-a-car,
And murmured, 'How sweet your chrysanthemums are!'

The Dormouse lay there with his paws to his eyes,
And imagined himself such a pleasant surprise:
'I'll pretend the chrysanthemums turn to a bed
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red)!'

The Doctor next morning was rubbing his hands,
And saying, 'There's nobody quite understands
These cases as I do! The cure has begun!
How fresh the chrysanthemums look in the sun!'

The Dormouse lay happy, his eyes were so tight
He could see no chrysanthemums, yellow or white.
And all that he felt at the back of his head
Were delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red).

And that is the reason (Aunt Emily said)
If a Dormouse gets in a chrysanthemum bed,
You will find (so Aunt Emily says) that he lies
Fast asleep on his front with his paws to his eyes.

20 comments:

  1. Dormice are not very numerous so it's lucky you have your own - and possibly a little family. I'm so glad no harm was done to the bike. Bike and dormouse can come out of hibernation together :-)

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  2. Ah, what a cracking picture, and a lovely poem to accompany it.

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  3. Lovely! I wish we had a dormouse instead of the rats that have suddenly appeared now we have chickens. What IS the best way to get rid of them?

    Thanks for your comment on mine Denise. I will be in touch. Ann x

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  4. yeah, you have cuter rodents than we do in the States

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  5. Do you want me to come over and hoot?
    Jane x

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  6. That is just a beautiful dormouse and you are lucky to get such a good picture.
    It has landed on its feet finding you as some nasty humans might not have been so kind to it.
    Maggie X

    Nuts in May

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  7. He looks cute, but I'm not over-fond of mice generally! We used to have house mice at our old house (which was a very old house) and I hated finding their droppings in cupboards....

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  8. I don't mind rats and mice (as long as they are outside). It's spiders and roaches I don't like. I remember that poem. Since I have two of A.A. Milne's books, it's probably in one of them.

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  9. Boo! perhaps, but more like EEK! It is cute though. Great poem, as well. When I found a mouse in the house (I figured it came in with the houseplants that I had out on the deck for the summer), I wrote a poem, too...and that turned into a story. The first part true ... one died in a trap, and the other one was taken on a long car ride to meet his long lost cousins. What's going to happen to yours?

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  10. Brilliant pic! And how lucky you are that it is a Dormouse. What will happen to him/her?

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  11. Love that poem... and good photo.

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  12. I'm probablyin the minority but I like mice. We have regular field mice come to steal the bird seed - so long as they don't turn into house mice I'm quite happy with it. Loved the poem, Denise.

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  13. A sweet poem, but I must admit I'd be rather startled to find a dormouse anywhere near me! lol

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  14. Gorgeous photo Denise, gorgeous poem, which I did not know - glad you let him/her go. Glad also you are retaxing the bike, means you might be wending your way over to the Dales one of these days.

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  15. What a fantastic picture - glad the bikes in good nick though. It wont be long and the lanes will be buzzing with bikes around here - maybe we'll see you over in the east!

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  16. Great photo, I don't think I have ever seen one, he seems quite happy!

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  17. What a cutie!! And how tame!

    But I regret to inform you that he's not a dormouse - dormice have furry tails. He's probably a field mouse or wood mouse. Still cute though!

    And thanks for the poem. It's such a long time since I read that one!

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  18. Ha! Red-handed, eh?

    Interestingly though, my mice don't like paper or cardboard, unless there's something nice behind it. Last year, I had a real sucker for butter. I had to throw a couple of packets away.

    They look so cute, don't they? But the damage they can cause is just amazing and to be honest: disgusting.

    By the way: I love LOVE your profile picture. My heart goes all fuzzy when I see ducks, goose, well, any kind of bird, actually.

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  19. What a cutie - as you can see by ny profile pic I adore mice :) Glad there was no damage.

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Thank you for your comments, always nice to know somebody has taken the time to let me know what they think.