Since Hai's friend came here again and put pinches of rat-killer in various corners, behind various things, everywhere and anywhere Tikva cannot get to them, I have seen so mice and until yesterday only one rat. I think it was dead. Anyhow, for the last few days Tikki had been head first [as far as she could get] under the couch, which is low on low legs. The front, the side, and she even got through where the couch meets my recliner, which is at an angle at the corner of the room so I can get the footrest up and the back up without hitting the wall. Something I do for a quick nap with Tikki curled up on my lap - unless I am so zonked I need my nap on my bed, with Tik curled up against me. Back to Tikva trying to tell me something is there when I cannot see it. Me, flat on the floor with a flashlight and Tikva climbing over me "but it is there, it is there". What? OK, so yesterday afternoon she was going bananas at the front of my recliner where the footrest does not actually meet the floor. Well they do not, do they. Do they? Got on the floor and thought oh my ears and whiskers, I think I can see a small pink... foot? Got up - dunno how - grabbed a picker-upper - down on the floor - managed to get to the lever to lift the footrest - and grabbed what was there. A rat. Out it came, flying right into Tikva's toybox. To cut a long story short, I somehow got up again, managing to keep Tikki away from what she probably thought was another toy - and somehow managed to pick it up with the picker-upper but I kept dropping it as I only have two arms and needed both crutches and the picker-upper needs another hand... ...three drops and pick-ups later I managed to get it outside, round the front to the side yard - and threw it. Oh dear - it landed on one of my fig trees. Not to worry, him next door the other side always manages to get through and de-fig my fig trees before I can get someone to get them for me. 16 years and I have yet to get a fig from the trees in my side yard before they have gone. I know the rat was dead, which was a good thing, but in a way I hope it was still alive and bit the bar steward.
Sorry for the mistype - should have said I have seen NO mice. But that is beside the point. That was a rat. OK so they are not that big but they are still rats and not mice. But when it landed in Tikva's toy box bed... and she was Oh, another toy for me? - and I am saying gettouta de way you hidiot, thinking if it is deaded I hope it is not deaded enough to be squished when I pick it up with the picker-upper... ...but I think it was dead. But I had been having a nap on the recliner only a few hours earlier and to think that that thing was underneath? The are not even that big [unless they dig their fangs into you] and what is the point in panicking... H E L P when there is nothing else to do. I must have a warped sense of humour!
Once upon a time, many years ago, parents and us went to visit a newly married aunt. The only one of Father's three sisters who ever married. Never had any chidren and died from leukemia when she was only 41. But that is a story that one day must be told. Not now though. Too much off topic apart from too much. I can not remember where she lived but it was a very old place - I have vague memories of it being one bedroom and a living room/kitchen - I think they had to share a bathroom and loo with others in the house. But it was a very long time ago. Anyhow, my aunt opened the larder door to get out some tea - screamed and flew across the room. Why? Because there was a tiny mouse in the larder. Yeah, but, I had been napping in my recliner not knowing there was a RAT underneath it. Deaded or not deaded there was a RAT under where I had been napping.
