Old-fashioned Ideal Milk ice cream

It started with a disconcerting noise. There I was in my office, minding my own business, quietly tapping away at my keyboard when a strange scratching and Merlot’s pointed study of my desk drew my attention. Now Merlot is a cat given to staring, but only at her food bowl. When it’s empty. Furniture doesn’t normally feature in her contemplations.

It didn’t take me long to figure out there must be some sort of creature behind the desk. And as I am quite clever in these matters, I also realised quickly that if it’s big enough to make a noise audible to the human ear, it’s not the kind of thing one wants to have behind one’s desk.

Much scratching was followed by much intent staring and finally some scurrying, which afforded me the chance to clap eyes on the not-so-little critter. Not a mouse or a rat. I’ve seen enough of those to tell.  Not a mole either, but about that size.

When stumped, I Google. “Images for rodents Western Cape” seemed a logical search parameter. So I was rather taken aback when an image of Western Cape premier, Helen Zille, popped up.

I thought this a bit harsh, but then I guess politics is a nasty business. Turns out the image links to an article about her being bitten on the toe… by a rat. Google search algorithms.  Go figure.

I finally managed to catch the furry little thing (there was some shrieking – on both sides) in an empty ice cream container and released it in the neighbour’s yard (sorry!), safely out of Merlot’s reach. It was a shrew, I think. Or maybe it was a vole. Google wasn’t terribly helpful.

Either way, clutching the now-empty ice cream container reminded me of my gran’s old-fashioned Ideal Milk ice cream. If anything can soothe being called a rodent, being chased by one, or being bitten by one, this is it.