WHAT is that SMELL?

So...for the last few days, Ric and I have been trying to identify a strange smell in the office. At first, we thought another fly had gotten fried in the halogen lamp - that can be a pretty nasty smell, but usually there's smoke involved. :)

I knew we had to figure out the source of it, not that the smell was all that bad, it was just strange. But, with all the STUFF in the office, wires running everywhere, our computer network, printers, etc. I was worried that something was slowly burning or something and might cause a fire.

So today, I took everything apart... literally! I pulled everything out from under my desk - all the plastic drawers that organize my craft and stamping stuff. I had the vacuum handy because I knew there would be cat hair all over since ChiChi likes to go under there and sleep.

As I vacuumed, I'm sniffing everywhere to see if I could find it. Nothing in the carpet. Nothing under the plastic drawers. I took my PC apart and vacuumed it out (serious dust bunnies there!), still nothing! THEN, I FOUND IT!

Inside the baseboard, laying on top of the heating core was a tiny little field mouse.

A d.e.a.d. little field mouse.

Apparently, ChiChi does much more than just sleep under my desk! She's always thought she was a mighty hunter. This isn't the first little animal or insect she's brought into the house. But this one ended up in the baseboard somehow. (You would never know that this cat is 12 years old!)

It couldn't have been there too long, but long enough to start to smell. YUCK! Sure enough, when I put my nose there it smelled!

Of course, being the blogger that I am, I had Ric put on the rubber gloves and get it while I got the camera! (hehe) Poor little guy!

(By the way, can you find Ryan in the picture of my dismantled office?)