A Hunting Tale. Well sort of.

It seems that we have a mouse in our house. Ed and I can hear it in the walls in the evening and we're pretty sure that we hear it eating Martin's food. It also seems to have found our stash of toilet paper and has been using it to build a cosy nest.

Martin remains uninspired to catch it.

shhh I'm napping

I've overheard Ed trying to strike a bargain with Martin "if you catch that mouse I will give you this whole carton of cream". It does not seem to have worked. Ed set traps in the basement with peanut butter. Yesterday he reported back that both traps were sprung but no mouse. However, given that I have a cat who takes pills by dipping them in peanut butter I'm not 100% convinced that it was the mouse that sprung them. This morning Ed goes into the basement and I hear him call out "My trap is missing! The damn thing stole my trap!" I hear him muttering and looking for the trap in the basement. I wisely stay upstairs. After 28 years of marriage I've learned a few things. 

Martin does make a good show of patrolling outside. 

can't pose right now I'm on sentry duty

Now that the weathr is warmer he goes out all night and comes back in the morning. I swear that sometimes he looks hungover so I have no idea what he's up to.

Belle, my austrailan sheperd fancies herself a hunter. While I ride she's often hunting in the tall grass looking for field mice. To her credit she has caught and killed at least one mouse and one rat that I know of.

cat, schmat. I'm all that you need

Martin and Belle have a relationship based on mutual respect and some bickering. Belle brooks no liberites from Martin and seems immune to his charms.

The other day I was riding Irish in the ring and all three critters were hanging out: d'Arcy was keeping a close eye on us while Martin and Belle were either side of the ring hunting. Irish was keeping a close eye on Martin, perhaps remembering earlier run ins (http://journeywithadancinghorse.blogspot.ca/2012/09/dogs-cats-and-horses-oh-my.html). Martin finally gave up on his side and sauntered casually over to Belle's to see if the hunting was any better. I was working on my trot-halt-trot transitions and turned down the center line where we executed a nice square halt. Irish and I then spied a small tail-less rodent (mole?) scurry into the ring away from the area where Belle and Martin were hunting.

Me: "uh guys"
Martin & Belle: "shhhh not now, we're busy"
Me: "but it's in the ring"
they ignored me.
The rodent is now at the quarter line
Me: "guys, the mouse is in the ring!"
Belle: "what's she on about?"
Martin: "no idea, just ignore her"
The escaping critter reaches the half way point and starts to pick up speed
Irish and I stand there watching this play out.
Irish: "are you kidding me?"
Me: "I know, right? GUYS! MOUSE! RING! It's getting away"
No answer was the stern reply. Martin and Belle kept their noses down.
Belle: "keep looking, I know it's here somewhere"
Martin: "I'm on it!"
The Mole (?) reaches the far side of the ring, puts on the after burners and leaps up to the relative safety of the grass on the far side and disappers. "phew, made it! That was a close one"

Irish and I roll our eyes and carry on. Martin and Belle stayed in that spot for the rest of the ride.
Hunting. Futilly.

I may need another cat.

hunting is sooo exchausting.