“Where’s Mouse?”

While watching for an opportunity to photograph the field mouse yesterday, Jackie made a few more pictures.

Seated beneath the wisteria she could see the Dragon Bed with its pelargoniums, geraniums, foxglove, and ivy; her favourite garden view; a baby blackbird, not yet having acquired fear; and a greenfinch screeching from the Weeping Birch.

She did produce another image of the mouse, the leaf on which it stands providing scale. “Where’s Mouse?”. Enlargement and the clue that appears on the gallery should aid location.

Today we were able to take it easy because the temperature had dropped by a good 10 degrees and intermittent light rain fell throughout the day.

I finished reading a posthumously published collection of stories by Virginia Wolf bearing the title “A Haunted House” (1944). My Penguin Modern Classics edition of 1973 bears a foreword by Leonard Woolf explaining that his wife had not made final revisions to some of the tales included in the slender volume.

The works offer snippets of her imaginative creative genius; her splendid descriptive skill; her flowing language lacking superfluity; and, perhaps surprisingly, her love of life. She is insightful of people and a loving observer of nature. She enjoys playing with words and their use. There is a richness of simile and metaphor. Some of the stories demand a little work from the reader and often ultimately leave us thinking.

This evening, as is customary, we dined on a second sitting of Hordle Chinese Take Away’s excellent fare. Jackie drank Becks and I drank more of the Carles.

97 comments

  1. Oh beautiful photos.
    It’s very hot here, summer has begun.
    It seems like the year just started but now we are 6 months into the year wow. Time goes by so fast.
    How are you and Jackie?
    I’m fine right now, I have to get my neck checked out again, the spasms always start up migraines and that it never good. But other than that I am doing fine.

  2. I found Mouse, cute little guy.
    I am very anxious to get back to our Chinese take out. I put together my own sort of “Chinese food”, but it never compares to the take out!

          1. I’m sorry I wasn’t clear. It was a single image which I present as a gallery in the new editor otherwise readers can’t enlarge it. Well done for persevering.

          2. Well I am nothing if not curious and persistent. I was going to see that mouse come Hell or high water! Thanks for being persistent in helping me to do so.

        1. Ah, finally I see it!!!! Thanks to you and to GP Cox who also gave instruction. What a relief. Can’t stand these hanging mysteries.. ;o)

          1. Yes, I have just started doing so when I remember to. But, the only way to do so that I have found is to save, then reopen the post and add the photo as the gallery. The gallery setting never shows up the original time.

          2. Nope.. blocks don’t serve my modes of thought. I am still on the classic. It’s okay.. just takes one more step.Thanks, Derrick.

  3. I found Mouse! What an incredibly beautiful garden you have: there must be myriad beetles and spiders around. Do you get praying mantids there?

  4. Your pet mouse is “dead in the center,” Derrick, but without the hint I would have never found it.
    I am pleased that you share my opinion of Virginia Woolf style.

  5. Beautiful photos by Jackie. I hope the little mouse finds enough goodies in your garden to remain there, and not go into your house. With all your writing about Virginia Woolf, I’m definitely going to have to read more of her works.

  6. Jackie’s photos are beautiful. It’s a good thing your mouse friend wasn’t in our yard this morning. I spotted a large black snake moving quickly across the yard as black birds were dive-bombing him. I felt kind of sorry for the fella. He does a good job of keeping the poisonous snakes away. Leftover Chinese is the best!

  7. I found the mouse. And, as I put your blog on my screen I used full-screen mode because your first (featured?) image is amazing in wide screen!

    We’ve been getting visits from three hedgehogs for the past couple or so weeks, lovely to see them. Do you get any there?

  8. Great photos, Jackie!
    The little birds, flowers, and plants are beautiful!
    YAY to see that little mouse! Wonder what he has on his agenda today. 😀
    I’ve always admired the writing of Virginia Woolf.
    YAY for take-out food AND take-out leftovers!
    Your photos are always amazing…but when they are bigified…wow, so beautiful! 🙂 (I don’t think bigified is a word, but I use it anyways. 😉 )
    (((HUGS))) <3

  9. Well, there’s Mousie, at center stage. I found a mouse at my house early this morning, happily munching away in the hanging platform feeder. I believe I’m going to have to begin bringing the feeders in at night to discourage the rascal.

  10. The “baby blackbird, not yet having acquired fear;” knows Jackie and Derrick are safe. Maybe Nugget and his family have spread the word.

  11. Wonderful shots as usual, Derrick. I have garden envy. I should try Virginia Wolf again – but I’m afraid to. Proud to say I spotted the mouse, though.

  12. Ah, it took me awhile, but mouse is smack in the middle. It must be content in your garden, for it’s a plump, little thing. Lol. How fun you are!

  13. I found the mouse! I also have an edition of ‘A Haunted House’ with a foreword by Leonard Woolf. Each word, like a pearl chosen with care and strung together to make stories of perfection.

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