Getting creative

I came back to Cochabamba after a week-long meeting in La Paz and discovered that I had a little visitor at my house. It was small and brown and pooped everywhere. Yes, I had a mouse. I went immediately to the store to buy a trap and discovered that the only ones available were the glue trap sort. I am not a fan. The last thing I wanted to find was a mouse that had, in its terror, chewed off its own limb to try to free itself - blech! - so I shopped around at some of the neighborhood stores looking for a traditional trap and one owner told me that she had to buy some as well and that she would pick some up at the bigger market in town the following day. I visited her store two days later, to ensure that she would have the mouse traps available and waiting for me. She said she forgot but assured me she would get some that day. I wasn't happy but trusted her enough to return to her store the next day. And again she didn't have the traps. This lasted a couple more days. I wasn't in a huge hurry because I figured it was just one tiny little creature and although it was annoying to find its excrement in my kitchen, I could wait for the traps. (Can you tell I am on vacation mode? I don't think I've ever been quite this laid back. . . perhaps it's a miracle of living in South America.) Anyway, the s!*# hit the fan when I went into my linen closet and discovered that all of my lovely fresh towels had mouse poop all over them. Enough was enough. The shop owner STILL had not come through for me so I decided to take matters into my own hands. I searched online and decided to make my own bucket trap. After unbending one wire hanger, drinking the contents of one can of beer, and cutting apart a cardboard box, I had the materials necessary to make the trap. Here is a shot of my handiwork: I smeared a bunch of peanut butter on the can as bait. Now, I was not a Girl Scout nor part of 4H growing up, but I felt a bit proud of my 20 minute project. Perhaps it was the beer going to my head?
I left the house and celebrated New Years with some friends. I returned home today to find that my trap worked like a charm. I had caught the mouse! Again, an odd sort of pride welled up in my chest.
I hope that no little visitors of the same species come to grace my home in 2010. However, I suppose that I am now armed with an awesome trap if any do decide to 'drop' by. ;)
Happy New Year!!