Frost

first thorough frost last night. boy and i walked out through the yard in the early morning, he in his fresh clothes and coat and hat, me in my pajamas and boots. picked up a frosted maple leaf for him to hold, crispy and covered in ice crystals, and his hand melted it as we walked. sun just touching the tops of the trees.
passed the pile of soil that he played in, barefoot, two days ago. the ridges where his feet and hands made shallow craters were capped with frost, like a mountain range viewed from above, dark valleys and silver ridges.
three baby mice and counting.
harvested our butternut squash (14) and pumpkin (1!) two days ago.

Mouse

mice have moved in to our kitchen, following the warmth.

set a havahart trap last night and found a little baby one in it this morning. all head and tail and feet. it was watching me, wide-eyed, when i opened the cabinet door to check the trap.

brought it down the road, boy and i, and i sat with the trap door open for a few minutes as it got its bearings, as it met the outdoors, plants, earth. then in one large, clumsy hop, it left the trap, and scurried under the virginia creeper vines. i put a little pile of almonds on the ground near where it hid.

now i'm at home, eating my oatmeal, and a little creature, new to the world, is miles from its mother and her milk and their home.