A couple of interesting incidents happened in December and January that I failed to report because I was too exhausted to write (December) and/or too busy trying not to puke (January).

 

The first incident involved me being awakened at 3:30am by a mid-size rodent climbing on my face. The second incident is the reason we have a few patches of bare concrete sprinkled throughout the living room and entryway. And, the incidents are related in a funny sort of way...

 

In the pre-dawn hours of a Sunday morning a few months ago, Jonathan and I were awakened by strange and random bumping noises in our room. Obviously it was an animal of some sort – and this being Miami we assumed it was a large iguana (link). We reacted just as if it were the boys making pre-dawn noises... we ignored it and hoped it would go away.

 

But eventually we were forced to get up and hunt down our little visitor. We opened the door between our bedroom to the patio, then started banging furniture around, hoping to scare the critter outside. We heard some commotion in the dresser, so Jonathan began removing the drawers while I perched on the bed to see which way it would flee.

 

Eeek! A flurry of fur and a tail as long as it’s body confirming that it was neither an iguana nor a cute little mouse.... it was a rat! (a roof rat, we were later told)

 

Now it was under the bed. We removed all the storage containers, examined the mattress and box spring covers (completely intact), but no furry little friend. He had disappeared – probably darted out the door when I wasn’t looking.

 

By this time it was nearly 7am and Jonah would be gracing us with his presence soon. So we used the opportunity to vacuum under the bed and move it about 18” closer to the window, which we’d been meaning to do for months.

 

Jonathan left for a business trip that afternoon and I went to bed that night a little wary, but heard nothing all night, confirming our assumption that the rat was gone.

 

Alas.

 

The following night at 3:30am I felt his forepaws on my forehead. I jumped out of bed, but didn’t panic – I’ve had various pet mice and hamsters so small rodents don’t really bother me. But I was annoyed at his presuming to share my bed.

 

I kicked the bed frame. Thump-scurry-scritch.

 

I left to sleep on the living room couch. I was relaxed and almost asleep when... thump-scurry-scritch... just beneath me. The blasted thing was stalking me!

 

I got up and kicked the couch a few times in a rage, turned on every light in the living room, then camped out in an overstuffed chair in the far corner of the room. It was 4am and Jonathan was due home in just over an hour – I debated just staying up.

 

A few minutes later in the wall behind me (shared by the living room and our bedroom)... thump-scurry-scritch.

 

I left all the lights on, went back to our bedroom, and turned on all the lights in there, too. (and that’s where we have about 96 extra lamps so I put a few on the floor around the bed for good measure). I curled up on the bed, pulled the sheet over my head and told Hyper-Intelligent-Stalker-Rat to go ahead and dance on my head all night long – I just didn’t want to feel his paws directly on my flesh again. I feel asleep.

 

That’s the sight Jonathan came home to - - took him a minute, but he figured it out. HISR (Hyper-Intelligent....) was dead via an underbed trap by 10pm that night. We did find a nest of his several weeks later – on top of a 7 foot high metal bike rack near our bedroom closet. Little poop pellets and all.

Turns out it might’ve been the blood meal fertilizer I’ve been using in our container garden that lured him close. So we no longer leave the patio door open after dusk.

 

Stay tuned for Incident #2 - - more strange noises in the wee hours.