Creepy Crawlies

If you're wondering why I haven't talked about gardening in a while it is because we have been doing less gardening. I know, it is sad... but there are a couple of factors to blame.

The most obvious one is that we just had a baby. This spring I was very pregnant and didn't really want to go pull weeds in my spare time. We did have a parsley plant that produced like crazy (and I did eat a lot of it in tabouli form, chalking it up to "leafy greens"... which I think contributed to my low milk supply, but I won’t get into that right now).

We only planted a few things for the summer because we knew we would be dealing with a newborn and that trumped any vegetables. We have collected a good amount of small tomatoes and bell peppers and a few eggplants and I'm very thankful! But, we (or I) could be producing more... like cucumbers, basil, carrots, onions, watermelon, pumpkins, various squashes, lettuces, spinach, peas, beans, and many other things. We have the space... and I can't blame the baby any longer because we have such a good routine that I could easily garden for an hour in evening a couple of times each week... not to mention two hours every morning when it's cool outside.

However, something still holds me up. The second reason for not gardening as much I'm kinda embarrassed to admit...

Garden snakes and mice!

I know, I'm being a total girl right now... but I can't stand garden snakes! Steven will even pick them up and show me that they aren't harmful... even making me touch them in hopes to get rid of my fear. But, nothing helps. I know in my mind that they are totally harmless and will gladly slither away... but that's just it, "slither!" Every time I see a snake (even a harmless garden snake) I jump up and have to shake off the creepy crawlies.

And mice! Double eww!!! This is kinda a problem we created. We have a compost pile and several plants with ripening fruit. The first year we were in our duplex we planted pumpkins and the mice would get to pumpkins before we could and this year the tomatoes and pepper have familiar little bit marks. And there is a shed in the back and a deck attached to the house... so there is food and shelter for any happy little mouse family.

A couple of weeks ago I had mustered up the courage to do some gardening again. I just kept repeating to myself that snakes are not going to harm me. I was watching Steven mow an area where I was about to sit and pull some weeds, then we both saw a GIANT mouse/rat (I couldn't tell). I screamed and told Steven to put out the poison and that I would be inside.

I haven't gone in the back yard since.

I apologize to my environmentally friendly friends, but I can't stand mice! They eat our vegetables and they carry diseases. My mom recently gave us a "humane" mouse trap... but I will not hesitate to put out poison if I see one alive. I know it works and I want them gone! What we really need is an outdoor cat... but we live off of two pretty busy streets so that is out.

It makes me very sad, but I don't quite know how to shake off the fear. I grew up in the country and near a lake so you would think that I would be a little stronger in this department. I don't mind bugs or grubs or even toads or lizards/geckos... but snakes and mice just give me the creepy crawlies. And we had an outdoor cat so I think I never really saw many mice or snakes growing up.

I really hope to get back out in the yard soon and have been trying to muster up the courage again. Hopefully the cooler weather will encourage me… after all mice and snakes are less active in the winter.