Rat Run

We have rats. I know, this is not  good thing and we don’t have them inside the house, but we have rats. They live in the dead palm fronds that hang from the untrimmed palm trees. Our rats live in the neighbor’s tree and each night at dusk we watch the rat run. These nasty little guys leave the safety of the trees and scurry along the power lines in their quest for food. It’s like their own highway, where they exit onto overhanging branches or perpendicular lines that lead them to neighborhood rooftops. And from there, it’s anyone’s guess where they travel.

While I don’t like the idea of living so close to rats, I’ve gotten to the point that I laugh when I see one scurrying along, in the hours after sunset. Rob and I often sit on the patio in the evening, and they’re hard to miss. They’re quick. Just as I raise my hand to point out the next runner, he’s disappeared. They’re gross. They can carry disease. Even so, on some base level, they provide a certain amount of entertainment. They’re great conversation starters. Well, not the rats themselves, but mention to someone that you have rats, and the stories unfold.

I like to tell Kansas people how the rats live in trees. This is always met with surprise. I also like to talk about how mesmerizing it is to watch them run along the wires. I can’t tell you why. Maybe I’m waiting for one to fall. They range in size. The first year we were here, there was one that was huge! That was the year I noticed the one wearing a top hat, and other carrying a suitcase. They traveled together, a couple smaller ones trailing behind. Maybe they were taking a vacation, or moving. It’s hard to say.

In all seriousness, I don’t enjoy the idea of living so close to them. I would prefer a rodent-free zone, but it’s one of the perks of living in southern California. Things are different than in Kansas. In Kansas, I freaked out when I saw a mouse run across the sidewalk ahead of me while out on a run. I stepped off the sidewalk and ran in the street for a couple blocks to stay clear. Now, on the nightly rat run, if I see one stop at any point along the wire over my yard, I yell at it so it knows it better not think about setting foot in my space!