Rats!

Hello again!

I took the girls to school this morning, then fed the dogs. "Dogs." We have a new puppy! (There's that duality in my mind- it's, "Yeah! We have a new puppy!" & "Yikes, We have a new puppy...") I totally forgot how much work puppies are! But she's adorable & sweet, not housebroken & a bit of a barker at the moment, but I think that'll fade fast.
Our german shepherd, Reuben, has officially become 'Mother.' Lol. I don't know how much he loves his new title. He's dealing okay, and he still has some perks that Poppy hasn't- like sleeping by our bed at night.
Did I already write about our neighbors rat problem? Which is fast becoming our rat problem...Troubling. It's like that movie where all the rats are running across the walls, but outside instead. Dozens of giant crusty gray rodents. They run across the rails of our privacy fence when I water the plants. & I was watering on the patio, felt something across my foot. A snake. He slithered into the garden wall, and I stared. Frankly, I'm more afraid of the rats.
Here's the problem. Our neighbor is a bad dog owner. Instead of having a fenced in yard, he has a 25' chain, in the very back corner of his yard, with the dog & the dog house. They go out once a day, fill the bowls full, then go inside. The dog never gets played with, talked to, nothing!
So these rats have dug holes under that dog house, and are getting fat from his bowls. The dog house is gonna cave in soon, and it's about 3 feet from our privacy fence.
Here lately, they've been dying in our yard. While I'm glad, it's concerning too, because we have dogs & kids that play in our yard. If our dogs find one of those poison rats, it could really hurt them. So we have to make rounds, checking, and everyday we throw the dead ones back into the neighbors yard, anonymously.
Steven went next door to discuss the problem. The neighbor said he stood & watched his dog eat til the food was gone daily (A lie- we looked over, and that bowl was untouched all day & evening one Sunday!) He said he had tried to poison them but was no longer doing that...Hmmm. He also said he sat on his deck and counted 16 of them running in a few minutes. While Steven was back there, he said the rats lines the edges of the guys water bowl- a rodent pool party- and he doesn't pick up the dead ones in his yard...
This morning, the dogs & I went out to fetch, and as usual, I made the rat rounds. Near the back wall, an 8' sleeping devil. Not dead, just, um, deep in meditation. I call my hubby.
"There's a sleeping rat in the yard."
"It's not sleeping, it's dead. Get the shovel & throw it over."
"No, it's really not dead."
"Okay, well get the shovel, smash it with the shovel, & throw it over."

?

"I don't think I can do that." Yep, it's a rat. Yep, it's suffering. Smashing it with the shovel is just a bit beyond my capabilities. We agreed that I would stick a bucket over it, & he'd get it when he came home for lunch. Argh.
I can't really blog too much longer- I've got to go out and buy "teacher appreciation" gifts. Todays the only day I have, so I'd better get. I hope you all have a fabulous, sunshiney, rat-free day. Much love!!! K