My next door neighbor continues to feed the skunks and possums, there's chickens in these them hills, and strange reindeer have been spotted, but I'm thinking differently about wildlife these days. Instead of this highfalutin attitude of "undisturbed in nature," I say, "Welcome, all ye animals to the 'hood."
The regulars at Thea's
Mt. Washington Chicken
This fine specimen was just sitting there, not moving a muscle...
The Rat's Nest would like to introduce its readers to its two newest members—Blu and Lily.
Blu is blue
I haven't had pets for awhile, or been responsible for anything livelier than a house plant. I hope I'm up for the task. These rats are wild little things; I've got to keep an eye on them or they'll disappear down a hole or out the door. They're hard to capture...by hand or in a photograph:
But it's nice to have rats for the Rat's Nest again. They can always be counted on for some good laughs and bringing new life to this old blog. More to come.
(P.S. In case you're wondering, Lily and Blu are kept in a cage, but they get out to play a few times a day...)
love yr rats, love yr photos of 'em, love this old blog, and love you, Charlotte... and yes of COURSE it was you addressed in that Hoban obit and yes, twas I who told you those things about Phoebe and the other Hoban fam... of into the London fog indeed (as I cannot say I blamed him one bit, having met wife and two daughters and known one too well . . .) but as for your new -- FRAUGHT with freight and fright, sure to stir up the old pot. Let us speak of these things... this weekend??!??
ReplyDeleteYour neighbor's created a veritable peaceable kingdom next door - although it still seems like a bad idea for the animals - teaching them to cozy up to people's backyards and to expect hand-outs. Not everyone welcomes skunks, raccoons, coyotes, and opossums to their yards. Then out come the traps and the poisons and the calls to the city and to pest control and, well, best to keep the wild in the wildlife, despite their inevitable proximity to us. There are recent NYC coyote sightings in a residential area of Queens, and people are terrified - New Yorkers confronting wildlife is pretty amusing - you'd think it was man-eating tigers.
ReplyDeleteStill, oh my, what wonderful scenes you get to witness in your neighbor's yard. And what about that buck, who looks like he's reclining a living room sofa rather than on a hard boulder! Did you really see him on one of your back canyon walks? Amazing!
The rat babies are adorable, and I love the photos. Sweet and swift.
Well, actually the buck is reclining in a living room.... a big living room called, Bass Pro Shop. I'll have to do a post just on the stuffed animals on display in their store, so lifelike, whole herds of deers, wildcats, bears, and more. Looks like Disneyland for hunters!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the eating regimen going on next door, but since Thea won't stop, I had to accept that that's how it is for now...and it really is good watching whenever i need to take a break.