New predators...

I have had several people email & ask about the rat(s) and if there are any other signs of their existence here at the house. Well, what I have recently found out is that the problem has, indeed, NOT been resolved, but rather, now that it's rainy season, it has increased!!!!! My mother-in-law has so wonderfully informed me that the glue traps need to stay out consistently now that the rain is here because they will enter the house seeking shelter from the storms. Oh Joy! I can't even tell you how excited I am about that! (not!)

For those of you who just love the "evidence" of this fact, I am going to tell you about 2 rats that we found recently: One evening around 10-11 pm, we heard this horrible banging sound from our bedroom, so I ran out to see what picture or shelf had fallen off the wall or which child had fallen out of bed, etc. Paul's dad ran out of his room wondering what in the world we could be doing in the house that would be making such a racket...after much searching and total confusion, then it hits us...there had been a rat heard down in the wall, so we had previously placed some glue boards up in the ceiling to try & catch it up there. Come morning, we sent a worker up to check the trap & sure enough, we caught a BIG one! The racket had been him jumping around trying to get off the trap and the glue board was banging the floor each time he moved. (gives me the heebie jeebies!) The other time was when we returned from our trip to Manila and while combing Sarah's hair for school the next morning, Jared walks into my room with his hand behind his back saying, "Guess what we did while you were gone". He then proceeds to pull out the following to show me that they had, in fact, caught another rat & that "...we killed it mom, it was so cool..."! Nice!

I have been waiting to download pictures to tell the story of the "new predator" we found hanging around, so here goes...Paul went down to the camp office one morning back in mid June and shortly after he was there, he calls & says for me to send Jared & Sarah down on their bikes because he had something really cool to show them. Off they went...they were so excited. When they returned home, they were even more excited than they were when they left. One of our "neighbors" had been down fishing in the small lake the evening before & had found a 7 foot python. He killed it & gave it to one of the camp workers the next morning wanting to inform them of his find. Paul had called the kids down to see it & they thought it was the coolest thing they had ever seen....I, on the other hand, do not like the idea of that snake (or any snake for that matter) being that close to my house! (about 1/4 mile) Just after lunch, we were preparing for Sarah's birthday in the camp kitchen, so I went over to the garage to take a picture of this thing. I hate to tell you, but I only have a picture of his head because the camp workers had eaten the snake for lunch that day!!!! I told them that they can eat all the snakes they want as long as they keep them away from my house! Can I get an "amen" to that one!?!

I have to tell you that I just crack up at the interest many have had over our little rat sagas, but to be honest with you, it is truly a blessing to me to be able to share the events of a normal day with you all. It makes me feel so connected to family and friends...it makes me feel that maybe I'm not out here alone, but that I have brought each of you here with me through my stories! Thank you for your interest in our lives...and thank you for your prayers! Much love to you all!