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Well...today around 4ish I went out to check the mail. I lit a ciggie and went into the back yard. I looked at the fence and watched a tree rat scamper along the top fence board, all the way down the fence line. It is very odd to see a nocturnal animal out in the day. It looked like it had come from our neighbors shed and when it reached the other end of the fence it disappeared into their yard. When David got home he set the rat traps, one of which he set on the same baord I had seen the critter on earlier. I just went outside for my last cig of the night and PoohDog was acting odd. He wanted to show me something in the yard. He was really pleased with himself. I looked to where the trap was (the other was set in Nickolas' treehouse), and the trap wasn't there. It had fallen to the lower board. I got a flashlight and followed Pooh out to the yard. There was the rodent I had spotted earlier. I woke up David for dead critter removal. The only thing I can figure is that the trap stunned it and when it fell Pooh decided to play with it (like a cat). There was not any outward signs of trauma (though I didn't get close enough to do a full exam) but it was dead. Rigor hadn't even set in yet so it hadn't been dead for long. It struck me odd that it was so small. I remember the rats on the power lines in Temple City and they were the size of large cats. This one was only the size of the smallest Girl. I was able to tell it was a female. So now I am going to take out a Girl or 2 (or 5) and try to get rid of the guilty feeling I have.
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