Of mice and.....

I am matching my wits against a sneeky little mouse that loves the big juicy nectarines that I have accidently left out on the counter at night. To add insult to injury, I am also under seige by an army of the teeniest, tiniest ants. The heat has brought them out of the ground and into the kitchen where they are also running rampant all over the counters. Once upon a time, the area in which I live was once filled with fields of apricot, cherry and olive trees. Our actual neighborhood was built over the site of the old Weibel Vineyard. It really is a shame that fields of fruit trees and vineyards have to be mowed down to give way to "progress" and the construction of houses. They say that less than twenty years ago, this entire area was open and wild and people used to ride horses where there are now expressways. So, in some ways I guess the "visitors" are less the intruders than me. But, none the less, I am not too keen on sharing my nectarines with a mouse. Finding little teeth marks in my fruit in the morning is not the greatest of ways to start the day! So, the hunt is on. But, I am finding that this is a sneeky little thing and it seems to be dancing around and avoiding the sticky traps that I leave out at night. The story continues...hmmmm....who will out smart whom?