This is a cute little critter, don't you think? It sorta looks like a precious teeny field mouse. (technically, it's a vole.) When I was little, if I saw a mouse in the yard I wanted to keep it for a pet or at least hold it. I did have two pet mice once. Unfortunately, they reproduced and soon I had tons of them. Only to have them die mysteriously one by sad little one.

We also had a small (wild) rodent who fed his family cat food from Snowball's dish. Now that was entertaining. I would camp out next to the dish and watch for the sneaky little thing to come out, grab one piece, run back and come out again. When you are watching 4 channels on a 13 inch black and white screen with questionable reception, anything is fun.

My point is, I think they're cute.
Shannon not so much.
At Grandma's this past weekend, she spotted a small dark rodent scurry across the room and went into hysterics. She was on the table in 2.5 seconds flat. Just as she was calming down from perpetrator number one, another scampered along the wall.
If my parents still had that wagon wheel chandelier, she would have been hanging from it.
Then, while we worked out an elaborate plan of attack, (involving tupperware and oats) Shannon remained secluded in the "safe" room to recover from her traumatic incident.
Shortly, we heard whiny wailing and sounds of objects being upset from behind her door.
Out she came crying from her first bee sting.
Poor thing.
She was so stressed out from her ordeal at Wild Kingdom she vowed never to return to the cursed place.
Except the lure of a party can do wonders for one's phobias. I took her home but she decided to brave it out and return because there was going to be dessert and fun teaseable cousins at this party.
On the way, I almost hit a squirrel and I may or may not have mumbled something in reference to the squirrel I did hit the day before. Shannon of course heard me and then announced "I hate dead nature." (as opposed to the living creatures she nearly passed out from earlier)

We don't know exactly what we saw at Grandma's, but if it was one these (a mole) she has my full support if she wants to live on the table. Just look at those fingers(?)!!