RATS!

In all the time we've lived here, next to the strip mall, I've never seen a rat. We've had chipmunks, squirrels, and ground hogs dining under and sometime on our bird feeder, but never rats -- until yesterday.

When I first saw our plump guests, I tried to tell myself they were baby ground hogs, but my biology sensibility wouldn't let me pull the wool over my eyes. All day, unable to settle on a task, I walked about the house passing through the dining room so I could check out the feeder. The rats were still there, and chasing away the birds. And when I opened the window, instead of running towards the fence and the wasteland of mall beyond, they beelined towards my side porch. I think we have a rat's nest under my grill.

While out rounding up the children, I swung the posse into the hardware store to pick up a little something, I hope our new house guests, are just dying to eat. Being the most gracious hostess I even put the packs of nibbles under the porch so all they need to do is wake up, stretch, and eat.