Tuesday, November 16, 2010

One dead rat or a doggie snack

Two weeks ago both sons came over to help me set the storage shed on a better foundation. I locked the dogs up in their pen just in case there were any rabbits still living under there. We emptied the shed and moved it about 15 feet. There were still two young rabbits there and they took off running as soon as we got near them. Maiko found a mummified rat. He was so proud of the complete skeleton. I put a pan on the ground and told him to put it there until we finished working on the shed. He called his girls over but neither one was very impressed or willing to get near the dead rat.

This brought back memories of why Elfida stopped checkingMaiko's and Carlos' pockets when she did laundry. As kids they would put dead lizards, dead birds and dead bugs in their pockets. She had too many scares while checking pockets.
This was an impressive specimen and even my sister Dora would have been proud of it. It had skull, legs, feet and even the tail.
I collected skeletons too and had never gotten a complete skeleton. Well we went back to working on the shed. We did a great job on it. Maiko and Carlos screwed the plywood floor to the 2x4s we had laid under the shed. Elfida went and got some foam sealer and Maiko did all the edges to keep the rats out.
While we were busy doing other things. I decided it was time to let the dogs out of their pen. I don't like to keep them in there too long. The like to run around the yard and their is plenty of yard to run in.
I was by the side of the house when I heard Elfida screaming at the dogs. She screamed at one and then at another one and she took off running after them. I ran to the back thinking they had bitten one of the girls. Well, it wasn't that bad. Sister found Maiko's rat and took off running with it. Elfida saw her and screamed at her. Sister dropped the rat.... but as soon as it hit the ground Izma came running and snatched it up! She took of with it. Elfida gave up on saving the rat. So all we have are pictures and memories of this magnificent rat skeleton.....