Cute Rodents. That fly.

[checkers65477]

I posted this in Chatzy, but thought I'd put it here, too.

Funny story, and I swear it's true. A year or so ago, a rodent-creature got in through the attic and ended up in my bedroom. Ozzie sat and watched it scurrying around, leaving little trails of poop, and me scurrying around after it. I caught it in a box and said, "WTF IS this thing??" I carried it up the street and let it go. Looked it up online, and it was a FLYING SQUIRREL.  

They are nocturnal, and darling with their big brown eyes.

Two days later, there was another one in my attic. I could hear it running around. I bought one of those safe traps and caught it. Took it to work (a mile and a half) and let it go. Over the course of the next few weeks, I kept catching them and taking them to work. The science teachers loved me. We'd let them go in a wooded area behind the school. I read about them, and found they can live in nests of up to 50!

I also read that they will travel miles to get back to their nest. After I caught nine of them, I began to wonder if I might be catching the same one over and over. When I caught  it the next time, I took a Q-tip and put a dab of green paint on its tail. About a week later I caught another one. Guess what? Yes, it had green paint on it.

I'D CAUGHT THE SAME FRICKIN' ONE 10 TIMES. It must have been exhausted by then. Drove it several miles away and let it go, and haven't seen another one since. I imagine it living, quite happily, in someone else's attic.

At least I didn't know they could do this.

Happy Birthday, my dear friend Kate.  Enjoy the trip to NYC.