joe randel's art dump

I got home from work today and my wife told me that supper was going to be a bit late and that I should go out back and play with the kids. No problem I say, so we all get our shoes on and go out back.

We got out there and to my surprise I find two baby mice laying on our patio looking not so good. They weren’t injured, but the where laying there, breathing, but not moving. They were small, about the size of my thumb from the tip to the first knuckle and they’ve yet to open their eyes since we found them. I called my wife out to watch the kids while I went and got a small box for them to lay in so they wouldn’t get hurt. I scooped them up with a plastic play shovel and my wife got them some water and some bread to eat if they got some strength back, although we had our doubts.

My daughter asked when we where going to do with them. We’ll me being me, I just can’t leave them unprotected in my back yard so I said that I was going to put them in the empty aquarium that we have in our basement until tomorrow. We then watered the flowers in the yard and I noticed a third mouse in the grass trying fight his was through it. I scooped him up too and placed him in the box with the others. This one had a bit more energy and tried to crawl a bit but then mostly rested.

Just before dinner we put them in the aquarium and I checked on them from time to time during the evening. During bath time I took another quick peek on them and saw that one of them had passed. After books before bed, I went and noticed that the other had passed as well. Only the third mouse was still okay. I removed the other two and placed some cotton stuffing for the last one rest in. I just checked on him a few moments ago and he’s still sleeping. I hope he’ll be okay.

As for the other two, I took them to a part of our yard where we have lots of trees and I buried them under them and wished them well on their next journey. I feel sad that I couldn’t do more for them, but at least I gave them a safe place for their final moments.

Good luck little mice, and best wishes for you beyond this world.