Hooray, today was the release of the furry four legged unwanted house guests, which I trapped and cared for all winter long. My oversight was not having a way to clean the cage. In the future, should I need to use this cage again, the occupancy shouldn't be more than two. I believe I could corral two mice without them escaping and clean the cage, but five? I don't think I could handle trying not to let one escape. Mice are incredibly fast and elusive. So I will need another cage, with a better design. Having a clean cage would have made things less troublesome today for release, but since that was not the circumstance, I masked and rubber gloved, praying I don't get some disgusting disease because I had mercy on these little vulnerable creatures. After much consideration, I found the perfect spot, under a blossoming laid down tree, the bank to one side had rock crevices and the other side had a drainage pipe, in front was the river and behind was flattened cattail reeds. I set the cage down and went to setting the mice free. First one bounced out so fast, like this was the moment he had been waiting for, he scurried up the downed tree trunk and out of site. Then another one popped out, it ran towards the flattened cattails. The third one ran up the tree in the mouse prints of the first. The fourth one ran over my foot towards the drainage pipe. The last one was buried deep at the bottom of the cage. I was worried it had babies, but no, it was just afraid to leave. I shook that little fat mouse loose, and it scampered off in the direction of the second mouse towards the flattened cattails. Then I thanked Spirit for bringing the mice to my live trap, I thanked God for helping me to care for them and for keeping us all healthy and comfortable. I scattered a bunch of bird seed around for them to find later, and picked up the cage and went on my way. They have been returned back where they belong, out in nature, almost three times fatter than they arrived. I know they will become somethings food, for honestly that is their purpose to multiply quickly and feed predators, but at least they had the winter of their dreams (if mice dream). Endless food and water, warm bedding, friends and toys to play with, and no predators for almost four months.