Saturday 20 November 2010

The mouse in the house


Oh have we had some fun with this little fellow. An apple under the kitchen table was missing a huge portion and the ground surrounding it was covered in red mice confetti, he obviously doesn't like the skin. So we left the apple but placed our newly purchased humane mouse trap next to it. A peanut inside it, we know he eats them ....that is another tale, and we went to bed.
I happened to say to my husband that I might draw him if we manage to catch him. Next morning , excited husband rushes upstairs to say "we got him!". He had placed him in my tall glass vase with some apple pieces to keep him happy. The vase was my idea really, so I could see him and he could not escape. The mouse had leaped out of the trap as it was opened and into the kitchen sink so was a little wet ! I just loved him, grabbed a sketch book and set to recording him.
It is tricky sketching a moving subject but in the end he obliged and sat nicely with his pieces of apple.
We let him free outside in the coal and wood shed. Guess what......last night he had found his way back in, the trap is set ready for him. I think he likes it in our house best.
A big Thank you for all comments. Glad to hear others have had mice too. My laptop is serious, so maybe I might be lucky enough to get a new one for my birthday next week...hint hint to someone who might be reading this.
Hope you like our pet house mouse. He is actually a Long Tailed Field mouse or Woodmouse. He is very cute, I might knit him a jumper for Christmas.

20 comments:

Carol Creech said...

What a great series of sketches! Such a lively little subject :) I think my favorite sketch is the one from behind, with his long tail curling to the left.

Pondside said...

We were over run with mice earlier in the fall, but I think they are all sleeping now!

Diana said...

how adorable, so glad you got to sketch him. We haven't had one yet. We did have a lovely black snake in the backyard earlier this week.. I just left him there. take care, love your blog,Diana

Susan Scheid (Raining Acorns) said...

Ah, indeed, it's the season for a mouse in the house. You have, indeed, found the charm in it. This little one is lucky to have you as his portraitist!

martinealison said...

Je n'apprécie pas particulièrement les souris dans la maison... mais sur votre croquis elle me parait tellement mignonne que je comprends votre attachement! la petite histoire est très amusante et les animaux n'auront jamais fini de nous étonner! Et tant mieux...
Bisous

wandering said...

They really are lovely, aren't they.. You've caught it so beautifully.

Frances said...

Milly, your drawings of that determined little mouse are full of action and your usual observation.

From his return to the scene, it seems as if he likes being your model (and appreciates the accommodations, too.)

xo

Dan said...

How cute Milly! I love the drawing you have done of him with his back to you!
I'm afraid you'd need to let him free rather further away if you didn't want him back. He was probably back in the house before you were! Anyway, I think he makes a great life model!
Dan
-x-

Melody said...

I adore your little mouse! He looks like a young one by the sketches... We remodeled a few years ago and found a nest of babies in the wall; softies that we, are we left them there... We're not so bright when it comes to animals I guess. I have two pet rats at present; one of them is hairless. A friend sent me a tiny sweater for him ~ he seems to like it! So I say get knitting and pick out a name! :)))))

Patricia G said...

Wonderful sketches. They twitch so don't they. I love mice, they always take me by surprise how small they are. Their bodies short and stumpy, noses way too long and beady beady eyes.

Acornmoon said...

'there's a moose loose aboot this hoose'. I don't blame him from moving out of the shed do you, he's not daft!

Michelle Palmer said...

Oh Sweet Friend... you continue to capture my heart~
LOVE your sketches and kind heart!
Adorable...
Wishing you all the best,
Michelle

Lucille said...

You did well to catch him for the vase, they are so quick that when we let them out of our humane trap we hardly see them leave. One played dead at the back and I had to tap it hard. He fell out, still convincingly dead and then leapt about a foot into the air and ran off. I jumped about as high as he did! Great drawings. Is he a yellow necked mouse?

ELFI said...

elle se laissé dessiner.. adorable!

sea-blue-sky & abstracts said...

Have loved reading this post, Milly and admired your sketches - my favourite being the small, rear view with curling tail - you have captured 'mouse' mannerisms perfectly, Lesley. x

Posie said...

Lovely drawings Milly. I always find the mice manage to eat the food on the trap without actually getting trapped!!

Inger-M said...

The mouse is so cute, but I know it's not a lot of fun having them in the house :-) Your drawings are so beautiful!

Beth Niquette said...

I am just SO charmed by these drawings and this funny story! Thank you for sharing! I love your work!

JANE MINTER said...

milly they really are beautiful love your page of sketches fantastic so funny ! we have mice too from time to time .

Marva Plummer-Bruno said...

Oh my gosh your sketches are fabulous!!! I know how fast mice move! What a great idea - the glass vase, I may have to try that!