The great thing about living in the countryside is you are close to nature. I awaken to the sound
of songbird and go to sleep to the gentle baa-ing of sheep.
But sometimes nature gets too close. Like the time my son observed: 'there's something cute and
cuddly behind the flowerpot'. Given that the flowerpot was indoors and that 'cute and
cuddly' aren't adjectives I'd use to describe a rat, I did well not to scream. But I did run out
to my husband who was cutting the hedge, and who had accidently disturbed the rat, seeking
his assistance in removing the unwanted rodent from the house. That it was in our pre-Toffee
days ao we contemplated calling in a friend who owns a terrier, but settled for putting down a rat-trap
which fortunately worked.
I was reminded of this incident when I bought this toy rat on my trip to IKEA last week.