Yesterday (Friday 16 August) started off in an odd way for me. Going out the front door to get the morning paper, the first thing I saw was an apparently dead rat. It wasn't long deceased, as when I poked its tail with my cane it was still flexible. OTOH I decided to not meddle with it - maybe it died of some new sort of Mouse Pox? I'm a modest person and have no desire to distinguish myself by becoming Patient Zero for some new disease. (Immediately afterwards I was startled by a shrill remark from an angry squirrel concealed in the Big Ash Tree. Thanks, Nutkin, just what I needed.) Returning to the house with the newspaper, I next considered taking a photo of it, which is posted here in Scraps for your delight.

Having done so, it suddenly occurred to me - wasn't it lying on its left side when I first saw it? As I stood there looking at it, Ratty gave a shrug, thus proving that news of its decease was probably premature. Well, this was different: what does one do with a semi-dead rat? I finally decided to continue my non-meddling program, and left to go about my usual business (health club, post office and grocery store), noting on my way past that Ratty was lying on its left side again. While at the health club I collected some paper towels with the vague idea of spreading it over Ratty, to keep the sun off at least until he was done. Upon coming home, I approached the front door, got the towels out and ... what? Ratty was gone!

I have hardly any idea what was happening here. Perhaps Ratty was picked up by a marauding hawk and carelessly dropped unharmed - there was no clear sign of any injuries. As to where it went, I examined the flower bed I found it in and discovered no sign of it, so I suppose it finally just left, having been sufficiently annoyed by my presence.

The paper towels went to the kitchen, to be used for the usual paper towel things.