Getting along . . . .

This little rat has been around for the last few weeks, living in the old stone garden wall. I have nothing against him, so long as he is prepared to live outside.

I really enjoy watching him and antics. He used to swing from the branches of the rose bush and be able to grasp the fat ball feeder with his paws, so I have cut them off - the branches, not his paws! Now he has to make do with whatever falls off the bird table or from the feeders. He is getting a lot braver, as he used to be very nervous of the black birds. They were pretty aggressive towards him, so perhaps they are tolerating him a bit more, too.

And yes, I know all about the diseases that rats can carry, and all the other negatives, but I do wash my hands regularly and am fairly sensible. I just keep thinking that if he were a pine martin or a stoat, or something else rarely seen, it would be quite acceptable to sit and watch him but not rats . . . .

Taken through the double glazed window, as I knit frantically to complete Christmas orders!