The Phantom Mouse

About three weeks ago I was just minding my own business,lounging on the couch with the lights down low when out of the corner of my eye a shadow flashed by.I glanced over by where it had caught my eye and saw nothing.I placed my eyes back on the tv program I was watching only to detect another flashing shadow.Needless to say I saw nothing from whence it was detected once again but this time I slipped onto my feet to investigate the area.Nothing was found but this time I sat back down on the couch with my eyes peeled on the area. From the back corner of the tv around the corner of my small hallway that led to the bedrooms and bathroom I eagle eyed closely.Dreading to actually see an intruder in my living area I sat in suspense.Low and behold there he was,a small black field mouse that dared enter this humble home with of course no cat to give it chase.It seemed to be having fun running from one corner to the other back and forth as I sat there with my feet springing up unto the couch in horror.About this time Bryan,unaware of the intruder had come waltzing downstairs merrily.Of course I hurriedly told him of our little intruder with him looking at me in disbelief.He proceeded to sit down in the chair,with a smile on his face he also began to watch to see if his mother was losing her mind or not.There it flashed again but of course it was faster than a speeding bullet.As I screemed there he is the mouse had already speedly disappeared faster then a speeding bullet.As he got up to investigate,I oh so lightly followed with feet ready to jump up onto the nearest piece of furniture.Next thing I knew that there intruded had the nerve to race over my foot,attempting to flee the human investigators.We spent the next couple of days watching as this mouse had fun in front of my eyes until shopping day arrived in which I bought a set of regular mouse traps.I had never had to set one of these varment snappers because of our house cats that were quick to detect such intruders.So I had lots of frustration trying to keep it from snapping back at me.The first night,little RuthAnn reached down before I could catch her and the trap snapped.I don't know if it actually snapped her finger or I proceeded to scare the living day lights out of her trying to get to it before she did.I have succeeded feeding this mouse several times daily without it springing the trap.The one trap broke snapping back at me as I was resetting it and the other one I disgustly threw in the waste basket.This here was one smart mouse manageing to have his dinner in my kitchen without getting snagged. Peanut butter and cheese became his normal dinner routine.Every morning and evening I would check and that there mouse trap would be cleaner then a whistle.I would carefully pick it up and try to refeed the trap to have it snapping at me many times with no problem.Cheese was flying everywhere and that there mouse was probably sitting right around the corner with his whiskers shaking with laughter at me.He knew it was meal time as soon as I walked away.I soon picked a set of traps that were advertised to spring shut once the mouse entered for the cheese,NOT..............Don't believe a word of the advertising.One broke with me checking it out because of the mouse still getting the cheese and backing out and the other one I keep resetting just knowing that one of these time he will be so fat from me feeding it,it won't get back out.I have also with Annette's help bought a set of the sticky flat bed traps.You might be thinking I got that little critter.NOT................. The flat sticky bed trap has disappeared and nobody seems to know where.I had put it behind the trap that would spring shut and there it lay for a couple of days before its disappearance.It seems we may have a mouse doing the paw shuffle somewhere in the house.More as the event unfolds.Stay Tuned.The brown paper bag is no match for this mouse.