I was at the kid’s school doing my usual volunteer work when all of a sudden I felt a little tingle in my jeans.  Then I realised that little tingle was an ant crawling around in the back of my jeans.  I squirmed and wriggled all the while listening to a six year old sounding out for me and hoping not to gain the attention of the class.  Then…ooopppps… all my repositioning must have given the ant an easy route to follow… right down the bum crack express lane! I clenched my butt cheeks in the vein hope of squashing the little fellow but I think I just made him mad.  So here I was with another 18 kids or so to still work with and an ant break dancing in my pants.  It took a lot of restraint not to stand up and shove my hand down my pants but I was able to control myself and soon enough the ant made his own way out. I was just thankful it wasn’t a green ant because if that was the case my actions would have been VERY different and those poor children would have needed years of therapy!

Often the kids and I will play eye spy while driving and every now and then something will happen that we just don’t expect. Such as a ute we spotted the other day, nothing unusual there but then all of a sudden a little Shih Tzu popped it’s head up to catch the wind in it’s face. It just looked so ridiculous and completely unsafe. I have no idea why the dog wasn’t in the cabin, especially since there were no passengers and it was a 4 door ute.  Eye Spy a poor little dog!

The other day I returned home to find the humane mouse trap closed, indicating a mouse inside.  I was tired and in need of a coffee so on this particular mouse release I opted for the big native tree next to my clothes line. I usually walk right down to the back corner and release them but that day I chose a short cut.  I let it out and gave it a push with my finger to get it into the bushes then I headed back inside.  The next thing I knew my eight year old was calling out “oh guys, something terrible just happened”  I was horrified to see the mouse I had just released hanging lifeless from the beak of a butcher bird… out of the frying pan and into the fire!

Last night my 6 year old asked me to sleep in her bed with her.  It seems the way I rearranged her stuffed toys scared the hell out of her and I suppose opening your eyes at 2am and starring into the open jaws of a large Tasmanian devil toy could be quite scary. So in I went and not more than 5 minutes later I heard quite a commotion underneath the end of the bed.  Since the hallway light was on I got a good look at what was going on and for about 15 seconds I witnessed two mice playfully chasing each other over and around my children’s barbie doll cars.  Then they must have sensed me so they froze then looked up, we stared at each other for about 2 seconds then off they fled.  I had now found my new ‘hotspot’ to set the traps… humane traps of course.  I set a trap then went to sleep and in the morning I had caught a mouse.  I hope his play mate isn’t too upset with me but I do plan on reuniting them when I set another trap tonight.

While getting ready for bed the other night I heard Luke call out to me from the bathroom but since his mouth was full of toothpaste I didn’t understand a single word.  However I could easily recognise the urgency in his voice so I was up and there in a flash.  What I saw was motion in the bathroom corner and upon closer inspection I realised it was a Greenstripe Frog.  Just like the blue tongue lizard and the 64 mice we have caught this month, I have no idea how it got into the house but I had to get it out.  I discovered it had quite a good hop on it but our bathroom is tiny so capturing it didn’t take much effort at all. I had a good look at our uninvited house guest and then released it amongst the ferns in our back yard. It was a real shame the kids were asleep because we often hear the frogs but this was their chance to actually see one.  Oh well, no doubt another animal will make it’s way into the house… how the hell do they all get in?

Walking down the hallway I noticed movement near my kids bedroom door.  I assumed it was just a mouse but then realising the movement was too slow to be a mouse I went in for a closer inspection.  Well smack me silly there was the cutest little baby blue tongue lizard staring at me. I moved to pick it up but it hid behind the kids bookshelf so with the aid of a net I got it out and picked it up.  The kids came to have a look and then we released it in the back garden.  It was a nice distraction to the day but it got me thinking.  If a Blue Tongue Lizard can somehow get in the house (when I close both the front and back doors) then no wonder mice find it easy to live and breed in here.  Where the hell are they getting in? I just hope my next wildlife visitor isn’t of the venomous variety!

I am a BIG fan of the chihuahua, they are the little dog with the big bark!  I can’t imagine my life without a chihuahua and apparently neither can Mickey Rourke.  I just read a news article talking about how the former boxer turned actor once planned a murder suicide and even wrote his estranged wife a suicide note but changed his mind at the last minute after talking to a priest.  (See they are not all child abusing monsters)  He also said that he owes his life to his three chihuahuas, he goes on to say “they are the greatest companions a man could ever have.”  Well said Mickey!  This tough guy image may work for him to land movie rolls but I’m thinking he is all marshmallow on the inside.  I read a few articles about Mickey and this guy is really into animal rights and has no tolerance for the mistreatment of animals.  That’s his chihuahua Loki above who he once took to a “Loki karaoke” animal rights awareness function. It just wouldn’t have had the same impact if Loki had been a doberman.  Ah chihuahuas… there’s nothing like them!

Yesterday I took Lilly to the vet for her annual vaccination and check-up, it’s not something she looks forward to that’s for sure.  In true chihuahua style she shook all the way to the vet and her nails made a nice clanging sound on the vet’s examination table.  Since this was a new vet I wasn’t sure what to expect but this guy was good… he was actually able to hold Lilly!  Not many people can say that, especially if they have only met her.  In fact he even trimmed ALL her nails… I’m sure my chin was on the examination table with Lil because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.  In all of Lil’s eleven and a half years of existence, I have NEVER had anyone able to do that; many a vet had tried but only Dan the Man supervet succeeded.  I could have kissed him.  So if you are in the northern suburbs of Brisbane I strongly recommend going to Petworks Everton Park Veterinary Surgery, you won’t regret it.

My goldfish looked a little bored so I thought I’d give them something to do.  I went out and bought a long bendable air stone that attaches to the filter pump, it produces a wall of bubbles in the tank.  I set it up and waited and waited, they seemed to be a little hesitant to go near it.  Finally Tom Tom worked up the courage to swim through the bubbles and not far behind him was Sacha.  I watched in amazement as Sacha pushed Tom Tom into the bubbles and vice versa, they were having a great time.  I assume a wall of bubbles to swim through is the equivalent on a sprinkler for kids to run through… lots of fun!

When I first saw the above photo it reminded me of an incident involving my cat a few years back. You see my cat Sarah (R.I.P little honey) was the type of cat that would scratch you if you looked at her sideways. A swipe from Sarah was a common household occurrence, a love bite her specialty… if you were lucky she didn’t draw blood. She wasn’t afraid of much and on the day of the “incident” she certainly didn’t hesitate in her actions. You see, I was out in the front yard when I noticed the dog from around the corner wandering the street. I knew the dog was a guard dog but since “Shadow” was only a kelpie I wasn’t sure how vicious she was. Then I saw Sarah and my heart almost stopped dead. There she was hunched down, bum in the air getting ready to pounce…. at Shadow! Then the chase was on and it was quite a site indeed. Down the street ran Shadow with her tail between her legs and hot on her heels was Sarah showing no signs of slowing down. I yelled out for Sarah to stop and after two houses she did and thankfully Shadow continued on home. Things could have turned out very different if Shadow had of picked fight over flight.