“Miss Lity and the Mouse from the Woods” is a story about liking certain animals for their appearances and demonizing others for doing what they do naturally for survival. It was inspired by my own reaction to a field mouse that came a bit too close for my comfort in my back yard. The experience did not turn me into a mouse-adoring human being. However, writing about and drawing illustrations of them turned out to be most fascinating and educational. At first, I even had a hard time looking at the information on the web. Little by little, I was able to learn about the different types of mice and their habitats. I can now identify a vole versus a field mouse, and, of course, I have seen rats even in Tokyo where I grew up. Recently, a friend told me about mountain beavers which look like a cross between a mole and a mouse but much larger. They are natives of the Pacific Northwest, and I hope to spot one some day.

I spotted a coyote walking in front of my house the other day which tells me that spring has arrived and many little critters are out and about.