Warm and cozy

Remember the eviction notice I posted for the wood rat who had made his home on the counter of the adobe oven? Well, he either cannot read, or he is thumbing his nose at us because he is still there. Seriously, I had thought he would be gone by now because we have had a couple of days with winds in excess of 40 mph, and the cover under which he is camped, and which protects the oven from erosion by possible rain, had been flapping to beat the band. Nobody could have put up with that for more than a day. Well, the wood rat did!

However, we have entered a symbiotic relationship of sorts. We are still finding wood rats around the place and continue to live trap them (and marking them to check for repeat offenders). The only bait we have found to be reliable are mesquite beans, but on the bushes the beans are all gone: eaten up by the various desert creatures, including coyotes. Our little "oven rat" has an impressive stash in front of his little cozy nest. So, now when we need some beans, we gently lift the cover, excuse ourselves, and take some of his supplies. He has not come for us yet, so he must be willing to pay his rent.