Basement Buddies

Otherwise mundane tasks become much more fun when friends are involved and I always say that my household tasks are more fun with these guys around.  Today I went downstairs with the purpose of cleaning out my “pantry”.  The kitchen does not hold very much in the way of cupboard space for seven so we are quite accustomed to keeping most of our food in the basement and as an extension of the kitchen this area must get cleaned out on occasion.  With one child at a birthday party, one child at the YMCA, two shopping with Dad and one two floors away cleaning her room the house felt pretty quiet as I began my work of vacuuming, rotating and straightening.  I hadn’t been cleaning up very long when I heard some very soft creeping feet above me and I knew I wasn’t alone!

One of my best little friends, Scruffles,  had decided to keep me company and help with the dusting and clearing of cobwebs in those hard to reach spaces where I keep boxes of empty jars up in the rafters.  She also serves as spider protection, though I don't run into too many live ones at this time of the year; a VERY good thing for me.

A few minutes later I was taken by surprise that another little, or in his case BIG, friend had found his way up to help with the dusting of otherwise forgotten spaces on the uppermost shelf.  Spooky tested the stability of the boxes and found it to be satisfactory.  Then proceeded with more dusting.  The flash on my camera really lights up that picture on the right… in reality I just heard his jingle and the only thing I could see way up there in the shadows were his two glowing eyes watching me.

Remembering the fun of last spring Spooky continued his work on the lower levels searching for any little squeaky whiskered runners with long tails but alas found none.  Those little guys that do find their way in during the spring and fall seasons don’t stand a chance with four cats roaming the household.  We got a clean bill of health from the mouse patrol… good news for the human inhabitants who promise lots of Fancy Feast and Kitty Cream for their feline counterparts; payment for a job well performed.