Of Mice and Fish ... and giraffes

Our district is in the throes of a mini-plague of mice. A modest excess, perhaps. Not a real plague. Tales (tails?) of the latter speak of the sight of swarms of these messy and destructive animals crossing roads like a moving carpet, or if disturbed in a shed scattering in every direction. In our homes they are especially unwelcome. My plague manifests as a resident mouse roaming the house until caught, replaced almost immediately by its successor. An Edithburgh friend trapped seven in just over two hours one Friday evening. I know - I was there!


Last night I finally caught the mouse-winner of this season's award for Most Persistent And Annoying. So far. Its successor has already shown traces of intention to bid for the title. But Graham M. says the coming colder weather will knock down the numbers: he had called to present me with welcome fish fillets from Hardwicke Bay. I mean, the fish were happily swimming in Hardwicke Bay until he caught and filleted them. Damn. You know what I mean. Anyway, he and his better half are now off for a camping trip (!) in the Grampians, in Victoria - well, you knew that - and say that they will spend time thereafter in Mount Gambier visiting a daughter's family.


Provided they survive the camping, of course. Why can't they just do like they usually do and go on 4-wheel drive expeditions across remote burning deserts? Huh?


I suppose I should be glad that my problem isn't a plague of, say, giraffes.

 

I took these photos on a visit to Monarto open-range zoo, 12km west of Murray Bridge. http://www.zoossa.com.au/monarto-zoo

I like this image of the large creature's head. He inspected me at close range. Nope, I was not on stilts, but on the partly enclosed viewing platform.