the shreds of plastic bag  buried deep in the compost heap began to move of their own accord after my spade unearthed them.  as if a little wind was blowing them. but there was no wind.  As we watched, a little hairless, pink baby rodent began to climb out of what had been their first and only nest. Then another, and another. They seemed blind, perhaps never having been in the light, only days old.

there is a war against rats going on at the allotment, with rat poison being set. some people object,  but the main feeling is against the rats,  They do eat people’s stuff.  And they are not pretty, and they are scary.

Allie from the neighbouring allotment singer of the Inverleith Allotment protest song (u tube link and Allie’s picture on this blog somewhere) stepped in to do what we could not. And he took away the  little rats and drowned them in a plastic bag. A member of the Allotment committee who had been present throughout hurried away saying ‘I am good at giving advice, but I could not do it. I could hear them squeaking.’

Wee coo’ering timorous beasties

plot neighbours

. its  not for the faint hearted this digging and delving.