Trapper

 Howard is officially a successful hunter/trapper.

Howard and Daddy were moving things around in our shed and discovered mouse droppings, so (under Daddy's guidance) Howard was charged with hunting and trapping the mice.  He was even promised a commission for each mouse removed from the shed.

Initially, Howard and Daddy set up standard spring mouse traps with peanut butter on the trigger.  But, when he checked the traps, Howard found that the peanut butter was eaten, but the traps did not go off.

So, Howard and Daddy fashioned a different kind of trap.  Howard filled a bucket half-full with water and sprinkled sun flower seeds in the bucket, so they were floating on top of the water.  The bucket looked like it was full of sunflower seeds.  You pretty much have to touch the seeds to know they are just a layer of seeds floating in water.

Then, Howard took a small piece of lumber and crated a ramp up to the top of the bucket.  He put peanut butter at the top of the piece of wood with sun flower seeds stuck to it and a trail of sun flower seeds coming down the ramp.  His hope was that a mouse would follow the trail up the ramp, and then see the sunflower seeds in the bucket and climb down for an all-you-can-eat feast of seeds only to drown in the bucket of water.

Howard was THRILLED to catch his first mouse a few days ago.  Ignore his crazy outfit -- it was Wacky Wednesday at school.  Since this picture was taken, he has caught a second mouse as well.