Rats n' Bats

A few days ago I tried photographing a rat that was out scampering across the street from my office building, in the early morning dew. I’ve known there are rats in the park for a long time. In the winter when it was still dark out I used to see the beasties scampering about as I made my way from the bus stop to the office. By the time I would see the rats, they were always fleeing - it's safety first when you're a rat!

One time I spotted a rat sitting with a wistful look - yes, it was wistful - at me – it was white rat. It's tameness made me think some cruel human had turned it loose to fend for itself – poor baby. If that white rat ever goes out in the daylight will nabbed for sure, by one of the Red-tailed hawks that hunt pigeons in the park.
I tried shooting a rat portrait a couple of time this week and this is the best photo I got.

Look all you want, but there's no rat, just dirt & twigs.
The rat skittered off just just as I hit the shutter. Damn!

No rat, but I had better luck with a bat this afternoon. I was on my way to Starbucks with Mommy Nancy (so I could whine about missing the party, see here). Anyway, as we left the building a building buddy pointed out to me something interesting - just outside the office building on the wall by the front entrance. High up on the marble wall clung a beautiful, chocolate brown polka-dot. After the Starbucks run, I got out my portable digital and snapped myself a few batty memories.

Hard to say if this little guy is outside because he was overheated,
or migrating, or just plain rabid. Yikes!

It is a Mexican Free-tailed Bat; he's a long way from T.J.

Note: This little guy is clinging to a sheer granite wall - bet he needed his nails sharpened first.

Some Bunny Effed Up

Yeah - that's right - some bunny effed up
I was gearing up to go to Cornetta's going away party tomorrow night. I don't get invites to fancy-people-come-a-callin' shindigs very often so you better believe I've been so excited! Of course, I was also a bit cowardly, but I was going to suck it up and just go and have some fun. I asked Mommy Nancy if she would go halves with me on a gift card, which I purchased last night.

So here I am all excited and rearing to go tomorrow and I got an email from Nancy: the party was LAST Saturday night! WT....?!

And there is NO excuse for my screw up! Have no idea what to tell Cornetta (although she no doubt already knows I'm something of a spazbrain. You see, Cornetta gave me the party date - August 2nd, ages & ages ago. So how do I explain to her that my poor, tired, feeble brain managed to transpose the party date a whole week?! I'm hoping the party was such a success she hasn't even noticed I was missing. GAK! Honestly, I swear, just mark ready for the rest home, wrap me up and send me away.

Mommy Nancy forgot the day too, and we've decided we can take Cornetta out for dinner & there we can give her the gift card. *sigh*

An August Evening on Waldron Street

A view from my end of Waldron Street

Last night was National Night Out in my neighborhood – nice excuse for a potluck and chatty gathering. While last year’s event was dang near intimate; just the neighbors on my street; Waldron. This year the event covered the entire neighborhood, although if you look at the photo above, the event was still small.

So with my Indonesian Cold Rice Salad in hand, I trooped the half block to the Pot Luck gathering. I only recognized two of my neighbors; Bill, who arranged the whole event, and Mark who lives next door. This year there was no safetly talk by the local sheriff’s crew, but there were reps of the local fire department, who gave tours of their big, shiny red, fire engine. I didn't know that 8 out 10 calls the fire department get, via 911, are for health emergencies – you know the sort - grandad’s having a stroke. The whole fire crew is trained and they carry an EKG machine, heart paddles to jump-start the faulty tickers and even oxygen-to-go.

The Fire Truck; always at the ready to save Gramps
Loads of knobs and shiny buttons to hit

The neighborhood kids got to make a mess – note homie in his bad*** Potter T-shirt

My new favorite neighbor – 9 years old, Thor the Italian Mastiff

The last event of the evening was a free raffle, and in keeping with my recent string of luck, I won a prize – a Jama-Juice Card. Hurrah! I get to try a charged-up Jamba Juice, heavy on the wheatgrass.