Perhaps I shouldn’t be complaining about squirrels. After all, what if they were all rats instead? I live around the corner from a number of restaurants whose trashcans are reportedly magnets for Rattus norvegicus. Now that many of these places are closed, the vermin are searching for meals elsewhere.
The coronavirus has created a perfect storm for residential rat infestations. Just as restaurant trash generation has dropped, people are producing more food waste at home. Streets are emptier, emboldening normally “shy” rats to go exploring. Rats “can do a block, or two, or three in a night easily,” says Bobby Corrigan, a rat-control consultant for New York and other cities. “And then voilà — now they’re in people’s yards.” … No neighborhood is safe. Contrary to popular perception, rats are not just an urban problem or a companion to poverty. “Hotel, apartment, private home, mansion, you name it,” Corrigan says. “Rats do not discriminate.”
The Washington Post
[Apologies to Amber, Pencil, Toenail, Tulip Beautiful Licker Allison, and all our other beloved pet rats, for this rat-hostile post.]
Happenings today: a walk to the farmers market (pretty crowded), a forty-five minute talk with Ma, the arrival at my door of a new 7″ x 10″ mixed-media sketchbook whose blank pages are intimidating rather than enticing me, the weekly Zoom chat with my girls, and a toilet-cleaning.
Molly sent me 14 puzzle pieces in the mail, with no explanation save for this: “1 of 4.” Here’s what I’ve done with them so far.
Looking at that semi-vertical strip of five pieces, I have one guess about what it might be, which is probably wrong. Can you tell yet? I’ll update you when I get the next installment.
i love rats, pet rats, ever since i met eleni’s rats. but, i hate wild ones. our neighbor just told me last night that she thinks they live under their house. we’re not close to restaurants, not really. but the other neighbor has bird feeders up and they love that.
we had a rat several years ago and it took us weeks to finally catch the damn thing and bring it to the park.
Well, to beat a dead horse, perhaps if you had a doggie, you wouldn’t have to worry about no urban ratties.
That’s very mysterious about the puzzle. Who can say.
I not only don’t have a clue as to the mystery subject — I wouldn’t be able to fit those pieces together. Word shapes — yes; jigsaws, no. (This week’s N.Y. Times puzzle was a BEAST — but, I solved it!!)
Marianna: Amazing you still remember Eleni’s rats. They were all sweet. Eeek, your report about the wild rats (the ones at your neighbor’s house, and the one at yours) is unnerving. They are notoriously hard to get rid of, and smart. I saw one run along my back fence a year or two ago and immediately ordered a trap, but never saw it again.
Molly: But WHAT doggie?
Ma: You are a crossword wonder. I still can’t believe you can see the puzzle in your mind well enough to be able to do it from the other end of the phone. Amazing. Hope I get my new Wednesday NY Times book soon. I will need help!
A dog would clearly solve all of your problems. It could even do that toilet cleaning!