THE GREAT RODENT WAR AND MORE TALES FROM NATURE

Let me tell you about Wednesday (June 10) at the farm. We were up early like country folk. A representative of our fire insurance company would arrive at 10:00. I washed dishes while Mike swept the floor. When I opened the drawer under the oven, there was a stash of Nellie's kibble – a sure sign that mice are at work. I'm pretty sure it happened overnight. She had left a little chow in her dish and we debated about putting it away or using it as bait. We chose the latter but the mice avoided the trap.

As I was working at the sink, I happened to look out the window to the north field and saw a distinctive brown something bobbing up and down in the field. The grain is up only about a foot. I called Mike, and he saw it, too, just before it bobbed out of sight. He thought it was Nellie's brown head, but when he called her she came immediately from her resting spot by the woodshed. Mike and Nellie walked down the road to investigate but came up with nothing, of course.

The hummingbirds are few this year, a fact corroborated by our visiting insurance agent who lives in this vicinity. She said the season opened with many but suddenly and inexplicably their numbers dwindled. Last year I had to make fresh nectar every day. This year they never empty the feeder and I have to watch that the nectar doesn't spoil.

After lunch Mike loaded his road bike onto the 4-wheeler and headed out. He leaves the 4-wheeler at a spot on Old Highway 7 just where the gravel road becomes pavement. From there he rides his bike on to Nezperce. His reputation precedes him. Farmers from here to Nezperce and beyond talk about him and know that he lives at the Old Dobson Place. (It's a generality but probably true that the majority of farmers are not much interested in the benefits of exercise.) While Mike was gone, I took Nellie on a hike. Midway the lane (our driveway) I came onto a rattlesnake lying on the gravel. I was sure it was alive, so I took pictures, then tried to make it move by tossing gravel at it. It never flinched and never moved. Odd, I thought, but I wasn't going to spend the day pondering it. Nellie and I proceeded to our destination -- the old Senters place -- probably 2.5 miles from the farm by road – and came back cross country, which is much closer but rugged going across fields. On this leg of the hike I was surprised by the loud buzzing of bees – rather ominous. I never saw them; they must be in the ground.

I think it's an awesome sight to come up over the rise of the field and see our place in the distance. [See photo left.] I wonder if Grandma Ina ever saw this view of her house. Looking behind me the Senters place is still clearly visible. [Photo right.] Looking at my house, I think, "So near but yet so far." That was certainly true today. I struggled to find a good way to get to the road – frustrating since I could see where I wanted to be. Thick, tall grass made the route I took last fall impossible, so I had to retrace my steps to the old Plank place and trudge out that way. In the process, Nellie and I disturbed three white tail deer.

Now walking back up the lane, I was wary and especially concerned for Nellie, who wanted to walk in the grass. The snake I had pestered was no longer in the road, but as we moved closer to the house, I saw that brown animal moving around where I had spotted it this morning. Even from this proximity I couldn't see it well enough to identify it. I would guess it to be a badger or something of that ilk. I marked the spot with a reed I was carrying, but just then Nellie disturbed a rattler beside the road. I looked closely but never saw it. I took firm control of Nellie and we went to the house.

I enjoy the cross country hikes because they afford different views of the countryside, but I won't be doing it again for awhile. Nellie was plagued by ticks, and I captured one on my leg.

We came back to town yesterday (Thursday). We had to wait 20 minutes where Gilbert Grade enters the highway for construction at Orofino. Once they let us westbound vehicles go, the eastbound was backed up clear to Stoddard's Electric with more coming, of course – lots of RVs, too. We will probably take the prairie route for a while. KW