One of my siblings asked the other day “wait so do you like the rat, or not like the rat?” Our relationship is complicated. It’s so nice to feel little rat paws on your hand! (If the rat is dry.) And of course the rat reminds me of these rats. But Boaz is getting ready to plant seedlings outside, and I wonder if he’s just growing food for this stone-excavating, wall-climbing, garbage-can-chewing neighbor. You can read Boaz’s rat account (and see a photo of her climbing the wall) here:
We thought about getting a trap and relocating our rat in the woods - but can you imagine how scary it would be to suddenly be in the woods, miles away from your special trash can and your corn and your poop pile and the dog that for some reason never bothers you? We can always just get produce at the farmers’ market.
I’ve been reading Birnam Wood, and might be finished with it by the time this newsletter goes out. For a book that contains sentences that are almost a page long, I really like it. It takes place in New Zealand and now I keep having dreams that I’m in New Zealand - but since I’ve never actually been, the dreams just consist of people saying “We’re in New Zealand, by the way.” Such a kiwi thing to say.
Today is Boaz’s dad’s birthday. He would have been really proud of all the things we’ve done in the last year. We miss shopping with him, hearing his jokes, and Kip misses him too.
Enjoy your day, mammals. I hope your week is full of cozy things and only good animal encounters, and please send me your rat and mouse roommate advice.
(We’re in New Zealand, by the way.)
I married a man whose last name is Mammel and I feel it levels me up. I didn’t change my last name but I’m Mammel by association. My kids are Mammels. I’m sort of amazed at your love hate with your rat…I love them as pets and hate them as pests which feels unfair but that’s life.
One time my mum saw a rat 🐀 in the garden of our house 🏡 through the window of the kitchen🪟. She screamed, ran upstairs and slammed the bedroom door shut announcing she was going to check into a hotel 🏨 (she doesn’t like rats). In her slamming of the door, in our rickety farmhouse, the door handle fell off locking herself in the room. After such dramatics she shyly knock on her door to ask us to let her out 🚪 We laughed, then let her out. The rat was never found and lived its ratty life in our garden, mum never did go to the hotel.