Braving the threat of Hanta virus, my husband cleaned out the shed on Saturday. I normally do it at least once in the Spring, maybe in the Fall also. It always amazes me how much stuff accumulates during that time - gardening debris, chicken feed bags, bird poop and feathers, and tons of mouse droppings. There was also the remains of a dead possum which my husband wanted to save for the skull, but one of the dogs must have snatched it while the shed door was open. My husband also found a good surprise under a bee hive cover.
A soft feather bed for a mouse! Lots and lots of chicken feathers, dried plant material, tiny bits of paper, and some other random bits of this and that that Mr. and Mrs. Mouse thought would be comfy and warm.
There were no mice inside now, but it was smelling a bit stinky, so maybe they decided to start Spring off right with a new home. I think it would be fun to see examples of the different materials that mice use to make their nests depending on their location. These mice definitely had a fondness for feathers, but if this same mouse lived next door where there aren't any chickens, they would have had to make a suitable nest from other materials. They had chewed two holes in the plastic screen - a large one directly below the nest and a smaller round one a couple of inches away. A front and back door I suppose. Think of how many trips they had to make all of the way outside the shed, find one feather at a time, then carry it back up and arrange that feather in the perfect spot. This world is just so darn amazing.
Joining Chrisy at Living A Good North Coast Life for Reconnecting With Nature.