Jim and Betsy

Today's Seattle Rat Story

Last week we had a visit from erstwhile neighbors, our favorite, who live in Seattle now.  They were here so Jim could run in Sunday's  Army 10 Miler.  I was going to run with him, but I hurt my leg falling off the scaffold while installing a machine gun port in the B-52 (for du Toit).  It was a mistake that we ever met Jim and Betsy.  He was Army, and rotating back to the states from Germany for his final assignment.  The Army allows you to pick the area since they wind up paying for you to repatriate anyway, so Jim chose home-state Washington.  The assignment officer, however, saw Washington DC and sent him to Fort Meade, MD.   But that's not what I'm writing about. Over lunch we got on the subject of  Seattle rats - I was thinking Jim McDermott and Norman Dicks, they were thinking Rattus norvegicus.  Evidently Seattle and environs are overrun by them.  Rats so big that you nail your rat trap to the floor so it doesn't run off with it after it snaps.  Anyway, their good friend raises Airedales, which elicited this story.  The guy's prize dog caught a rat and swallowed it alive - head first. The rat started gnawing away,  right  through the dog's throat!  The owner pulled Mr. Rat out by it's tail, then rushed Fido to the vet where it was saved.  Makes me hurt just thinking about it. As an aside, they once again extended an invitation to visit them, and knock me over if Mother Superior didn't agree to this time.  I haven't told her what the B-52 is for.  She thinks it's my hobby.  Do I level the place before or after?  What if we meet a bunch of people I like?   Damn!  Militia commanders should not make friends, it makes things too hard. PS- Private radio guy (his blog is on hiatus) sent me that RC B-52.  I think those are "Nerf" bombs, but what the hell.  How much does plastique weigh?  Send Money.