Aha! We Meet Again, Roland...

...but this time the advantage is MINE.

My Dear Princess and Dear Fellows,

I heard the trap clatter at 7.30 and went out into the garden to find Roland in a bit of a mood. 

"Eeeee! EEEEE! EEEEE! EEEEEE!" he said, like an over-excited Yorkshireman. 

He was not happy. This was not helped by Punky and Jasper coming to have a look. Neither of them were very impressed. Jasper got too close and Roland THREW himself against the metal bars with a clatter.

"EEEEEE! EEEEEE! EEEEEEE! EEEEEE!" he said. 

Jasper ran off with his tail all fat. This is just embarrassing.

So I put the entire trap into a shopping bag and took Roland out into the country to release him. As I walked and walked and walked, I found myself humming "Born Free" to myself. And a little montage played in my head of all the good times Roland and I had shared... that time he climbed the tree... that time he ran along the fence line... that time he scared Jasper...

Oh wait, that was this morning.

I was a bit concerned that I might run into someone with a dog, or that someone would see me releasing a rat in their neighbourhood and get annoyed. I didn't think I'd get very far with my pre-rehearsed excuse that I was "out taking my rat for a walk".

In the end, I found a field of cows and I figured he wouldn't do much damage there so I opened the trap and tipped him out. He dashed off without so much as a "thank you". 

Oh Roland. After all we've been through together.

So anyway. I got back to the house, pleased with the job I had done and sat down with a cup of tea. Caro glanced out of the window.

"Rat," she said.

And there he was. Another rat in the middle of the grass, looking fat and happy. 

I suppose it was naive of me to think there was just one rat, but all the same I was annoyed. 

So Caro has called in the exterminators for Monday. But I'll put the trap out again tomorrow morning. If I can catch and release Ronaldo I'll feel better about things, I think.

S.