I am afraid it was inevitable.

When I woke up this morning, I heard something. The howls of the wind were back. This week, besides having crazy weather complete with snow and hail, has been a very still week. There was a gentle breeze yesterday afternoon, but the true winds have returned this morning.

75 mph winds are ripping across our fields and howling through the fireplace vent. My parents were up before me and were sitting at the bar eating breakfast. My dad's first words to me were, "I have never seen anything like this." Sustained winds of 45mph with gusts to 75mph. I would like to say this is unusual, but this is about the fifth day like this in our 6 weeks here.

I sat down with a cup of coffee to watch the recap of the royal wedding, and I heard another sound---a squeak and a shuffle. You got it...a mouse. He was trapped in a sticky trap behind the couch. I ALMOST made it through the week without a single mouse. Harland comes home tonight.

I gloved up and got my long pliers. I had my dad as door opener so the wind wouldn't blow the door away. I picked up the trap with the pliers, and the mouse continued to struggle and pull to get off of the sticky mat as I headed toward the door. I put the trap and mouse on the ground and grabbed the hoe. I hesitated a time or two, then plunged the hoe right into his neck--gross. There is nothing more endearing, I am sure, than watching your baby girl break a mouse's neck with a hoe. I bagged up the dead, and we walked him to the garbage dumpster in the 75mph wind. To say we walked is a stretch-- it was more like a stagger.

I pray that the image of the mouse kill will be erased from my dad's memory when I take him after lunch to get his daily ICEE.

I suppose the thankfulness should come in right about now that the wind has not been blowing like this all week and that this is the only mouse I have had to destroy. I also have had no plumbing issues or water leaks this visit. I have had no other wildlife issues to deal with. What's a little hail, snow, hurricane force winds, and one measly mouse? It pales in comparison with the devastation others are facing. I remain very humbled and very thankful.

Psalm 104:1,4-5 "Praise the Lord, O my soul. He makes the winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved."