Marjorie's not the skittish type, but three times already this month, she's screamed.

Last week Laika pounced on a mouse in the kitchen, shook it, and mostly killed it. (I had to take a hammer to it to put it out of its misery. Ick.)

Then, last weekend, she found a dead rat in the backyard. We don't know if Laika killed it or not, but of course it was me again that had to dispose of it. At least it was dead and required no hammer.

This morning, on her way out, she discovered a large centipede in her purse.

That's three down, four plagues to go. Who knows what we'll encounter in the Cook Islands?