M is for Mince Pie and Mouse Pantry

"This hoarding habit is very strong in the wood mouse. In its woodland habitat hundreds of hazelnuts have been found stored in a pantry near the mouse’s nest within its burrow system. Hazelnuts eaten by the species have a characteristic roughened edge to the hole in the shell. Such activity probably accounts for the discovery by a farmer of a field drain packed with acorns from a near-by oak. The advantage to the woodland is that tree seeds get spread about, and because not all the seeds get eaten the trees regenerate."

That's fascinating - thank

Permalink Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on Tue, 2021-12-14 18:38

That's fascinating - thank you so much Di - I had no idea - how clever of them!

My last cat had a kind of pantry in the garden which he stacked with dead voles, neatly arranged in a kind of tower, under a large honeysuckle. We had no idea why he did that either!

EEEk! That sounds very clever

Permalink Submitted by Di_Hard on Tue, 2021-12-14 18:57

EEEk! That sounds very clever, was he the one who was good at computing? Tina is a conscientious objector about mice. Though voles are ok for being let go alive into wellies as a lovely surprise. Or maybe a joke. Or maybe excercise. There will be a reason

Thankyou very much for the cherries :0)

Yes - he was very good at

Permalink Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on Tue, 2021-12-14 18:59

Yes - he was very good at computing too, and he did the same trick with a boot once! I quite often couldn't work out why he did what he did

I get the impression Tina

Permalink Submitted by Di_Hard on Tue, 2021-12-14 19:09

I get the impression Tina lives in a constant state of frustration at how thick I am. Only the twitching tail gives it away

1 User voted this as great feedback

Mince pies aren’t a thing in

Permalink Submitted by Turlough on Wed, 2021-12-15 11:49

Mince pies aren’t a thing in Bulgaria. You can’t even buy the jars of mincemeat in the shops. Priyatelka is French and they’re also not a thing in France, so she had never tasted them until she came with me to England a couple of years ago, but she soon became hooked. She insisted that returning from my trip to Manchester a couple of weeks ago I should bring four or five boxes home with me.

However, since the Brexit thingy happened, taking foodstuffs from Britain across borders into EU member states is now illegal. However, I did as she asked. The packets were boastfully marked ‘deep filled’ (99p from Sainsbury’s … she doesn’t care for the posh ones) so I knew she would love me more than ever. For the flight I hid them in my hold luggage amongst dirty clothes (for padding) and books I had bought (for shielding from security scanners, possibly).

Nervously walking through the Bulgarian Customs green lane at Sofia airport, my mind was numb and my body was soaked with sweat. I had become a smuggler and an international criminal. But I got through undetected and my loved one was delighted to see me and the mince pies … but mostly the mince pies.

Please don’t tell anybody about this because I still live in fear, constantly looking over my shoulder. Next year I’ll make the mincemeat and the mince pies myself. I just can’t live with this pressure.

I can’t think about or mention your mouse pantry (though I just have) because my cats eat mice like Priyatelka eats mince pies.

Turlough

It is worth writing just for

Permalink Submitted by Di_Hard on Wed, 2021-12-15 12:11

It is worth writing just for your comments :0) I wish Tina felt the same as your cats, but, possibly even at the thought she is huddled up so close am having to type left handed. Or it could be she is curling her whiskers in the steam from this hot coffee

M is for Mince Pie and Mouse Pantry

By Di_Hard

Comments

That's nice. A wild mouse,

:0) Have not had any in the

I'm very intrigued to know

This is an article about them