A RAT'S TAIL

 Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

Rain began Saturday night and poured down yesterday until about 9 p.m. It was a gloomy Sunday, but Princess brightened my day by giving me a special gift.

Princess went out under duress Sunday morning because she hates the rain. Little did she know she was about to have great fun. Princess did what must be done and then headed for the garage. Princess and Penelope used to check out the garage together every morning with their noses down, smelling the cat or rat or possum that had visited during the night. Princess has kept up the habit on her own.

She stopped at a front corner of the garage. I watched from the back door and could tell she found something. I hoped a cat would streak out and disappear under the deck. No such luck.

She rooted around and lunged. Then she came up the steps to the deck with a very large, very dead rat in her mouth. I cracked the door open and commanded, Leave it! Put it down!

Princess obeyed a few steps from the door. I praised her, told her she was a good, brave girl because the only good rat is a dead rat, yet the thing sickened me. The worst thing about living in Jacksonville is the never ending population of rats.

She presented me with a dead rat once before. It was much smaller and looked deflated. I was able to grab it with the pooper scooper without really looking at it. Then I found a place to make it disappear. This rat was too large for that. I would have to get up close and personal with Mr. Rat. 

Maureen and I went out for a late lunch/early supper. She told me to put the rat in with my kitchen trash and then put that bag inside another bag and put it in the garbage since we have trash pick up Monday morning. Maureen also offered to come over and take care of the rat herself; I insisted I would do it myself, although I thought I might lose my  lunch.  Fortunately, the scoop was strong enough to grab him. I shouted, Euuuuu, that's disgusting as he entered the trash bag to join some kitchen scraps and the contents of the Roombas' dust bins. 

 I texted Favorite Young Man about the rat. He replied, It's a tribute to you. A gift. Of course, it was. Princess was so proud of her kill. She probably wanted to wrap it in some pretty, red paper, stick a bow on top, and put it under the Christmas tree for me. 🎄

I'll be relieved when the trash is picked up and gone this morning.

Of course, every day we deal with the orange rat and his conniving cohorts in The White House. Here's Randy Rainbow's latest:

Now I have a special announcement for All

                          Freakin' Green Elf Shorts Fans

and anyone who might like to learn about their history and possibly win the nastiness of hosting the shorts. Rimpy Rimpington has his caption contest ready on his blog. You, too, can be a winner of the Elf Shorts, as I was a few years ago.

The nasty, disgusting shorts traveled the globe with Rimpy and are more bacteria laden than ever before. Click HERE for the link to the caption contest at Rimpy's Raise The Thunderbeam blog. May the winner survive.

Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug