Monday 15 May 2006

Sammy and the Rat ~Lyn and the snail

 

Living in the country we naturally have rats about ~ but this particular one was a bit cheeky ~ it had invaded the bird table and was having a feast hanging on the peanut holder ~ Sammy was outside playing ~ and happened to notice Ratty and approached the bird feeder ~

Normally they would run away but this one was determined it was going to finish it's lunch before it departed ~ and Sammy was nearly on top of it before it decided it was time to leave ~ He honestly thought he would be able to capture it ~ Goodness knows what he planned on doing with it ~ was he planning on keeping for a pet I wonder !!

Sammy has got over his Appendix Operation well but is not allowed to play football yet ~ but as the Season has finished it isn't so hard on him now~ he loves his football

 

Ratty came in from next door and our neighbour Roy is going to deal with it ~ meantime we have blocked it's entrace hole into our garden ~

Lyn went to the garden centre a couple of weeks ago and came home armed with all her new packets of seeds ~ Lettuce ~ Peppers ~ Chilli ~ and Melon ~ she thought she would give Melon a go ~ so planted the seeds in the propagator and was pleasantly surprised to see 7 of the seeds had grown ~

Sunday when she went to water them ~ all that was left were 7 green little sticks ~ sticking up out of the soil and there sitting amongst them was a snail looking very sated indeed ~ she had to laugh but removed the snail to the top of the garden ~ where she presumes in a couple of more  weeks it would have made it's way back to the greenhouse to feast on the new Melon seeds about to be planted ~

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't like rats around.........can be  a real pain..........
like the snail story!

Anonymous said...

Yuk at the rat, would not want to come that close.  I hate it when snails eat your young plants and seedlings. We do not see many rats here but are overrun with snails.

http://journals.aol.co.uk/jeanno43/JeannettesJottings/

Anonymous said...

Hi Ally,  You don`t want another rat that you can set free in the fields?  We still haven`t caught our rodent visitor!  I do hate snails, they are just like slugs but with a handle to pick them up with...lol!  I hope Lyn tries again with the melon, it`d be interesting to hear how they fare. :o)

Sandra xxxxx

Anonymous said...

I hope you don't get visited again by the rat. Maybe Lyn will have more luck with the new lot of melon seeds, a little bit of ash or salt round it would keep snails off. Jeannette xx

Anonymous said...

Sammy's brave, I wouldn't get that close.  lol@snails.........they love their young shoots, hope the next lot survives. Rache

Anonymous said...

Hi Ally Sammy was brave to approach the rat!! Sorry the snail ate Lyns plants ,I planted a hosta yesterday must get some slug pellets as they like them.Never tried growing melon before........Jeanx

Anonymous said...

Horrible rats! Pesky snails... Lets hope Lyn has more luck with the new melon seeds.  Sam's got the World Cup to look forward to soon, so that should perk him up after the operation , Suzy xx
http://journals.aol.co.uk/pricesc93/MrsFourboys/

Anonymous said...

I HOPE LYN'S MELONS GROW IN!!  I AM HAPPY THE RAT  RAN AWAY. I WONDER IF IT WOULD HAVE BITTEN SAMMY..

Anonymous said...

Oooh Ally, snails and rats ~ the joys of country living!!! Glad Sammy is over the op now ~ the World Cup is coming so he will have plenty of footie to watch lol.......hope the melons grow this time ~ will be interested to hear how they get on! Have a lovely evening.
lots of love Debbie ~xxxxxx~
http://journals.aol.com/debbiewebb4465/TheLifeTimesofanEssexGirl

Anonymous said...

Yep I know about those rats and mice in the country. When we moved out to the ranch for 14 months I got Susie thinking she would have a littler of kittens regularly to help keep them at bay. No such luck she didn't have one kitten so we had to resort to sticky traps, poisen etc. Paula

Anonymous said...

eeewwww both rats and snails make me feel sick...Had to laff at the snail though, cheeky wee thing LOL   Caff xxx

Anonymous said...

Sammy looks a lot like I did when I was his age.  I like the wanted poster you had done with his PIC.  I wonder if he knows that rats will bite you if they feel threatened?  I wouldn't try to capture one unless I was wearing heavy gloves.  Sorry the snail got into the plants, but glad Lyn captured it before further damasge ensued.  Your garden seems like a place where there is always something going on, LOL!
Sam

Anonymous said...

Sammy didn't tell you?! Shucks, I
guess he didn't want to upset you.
What he planned was to snatch the rat's
tail then bash it against the "Water Feature"
over and over till there was just a little
jerking motion coming from the now dead
rat. Wait a minute, what is a "bird table"?
getting the hang of England-land country lingo
is taxing. Well, he'd have slammed it down
on the table, or a nearby rock: anything
solid. (Sammy was probably told by his
mother to cool it with Granma.)

So wonderfully decorative your blog and
your living spaces. What a charmed life!!!

Barry

Anonymous said...

I think you had a visit from Sandras ratty friend...just checking out the turf.  If the snail had eaten my shoots I am afraid it isn't to the bottom of the garden I would have taken it.!!  Eve

Anonymous said...

Oh what a dissapointment for Lynn I hope she will be lucky with the next lot of seeds ,Ugh snails and double Ugh to Ratty .........Jan xx   p.s I'm down to 94emails left to answer now lol .....Jan xx

Anonymous said...

I did hear that snails like beer and you can make a beer trap for them. Personally speaking though, I'm not prepared to share my beer with a snail but to each his own I guess. Now if sammy were to catch the rat and train it to chase off snails....? Just a thought.
B. x

Anonymous said...

Mice got into my car and truck and made a nest in my trucks heater/blower system and caused the most awful smell that I could not get rid of when the blower was on from their urine and droppings which I am also allergic to.    I trapped the mice several times and plugged up the floor opening with plastic bags.   My truck has rusted away floor areas that need to be re-built.    I can smell when the mice have been in my car and I don't know where they are getting in.    I found the insulation from my car trunk taken to the vent in my truck when I removed the nest.     I don't think I would have been kind to the snail, lol .   The poster of your grandson was great.    He will be playing football again next year and will forget about his surgery.     mark

Anonymous said...

Hello Ally - ewe rats.... don't like em!    greedy snails, you gotta watch em this time of year !!
Luv Jayne x

Anonymous said...

WOW!!!! never a dull moment around your place...rats...I would still be running LOOL....and that snail...yuk....I am not a creepy crawley person....LOL...but you have made your garden so sweet and nice...no wonder they all come calling LOLOL...hugs from ky....Ora

Anonymous said...

Hi Ally.  Your journal is wonderful!  I'm sorry I didn't come here sooner.  I have you on alerts now!  Great story about the seeds and the snail. : )  Hugs and GBU, Shelly

Anonymous said...

GOOD MORNING ALLI,
THANX FOR THE COMMENTS YOU SENT ME.
I LEFT ONE HOUSE AND MOVED ON,BECAUSE OF RATS, ON MY BIRDTABLE.THEY MUST HAVE TASTED MY FATTY CAKE I USED TO BAKE FOR THE BIRDS.OH! DEAR I COULDN'T LIVE AROUND THEM,SORRY I HAVE TO SAY.I WAS CLOSED IN LIKE A PRISONER AFTER I SAW THE FIRST ONE.DIDN'T EVEN DARE OPEN THE HOUSE DOOR.WELL ALLI HAVE AGOOD DAY AND A SPEEDY RECOVERY FOR FOOTBALL SAMMY.LOL!!
                           REGARDS Astoriasand@aol.com

Anonymous said...

I can't understand anyone who keeps rats as pets...I work with a lady who does - she lets them crawl all over her and says they're just as affectionate as dogs.  I'm not convinced!!  Snails, grr....they ate all my flowers last year.

Anonymous said...

Typical blooming rats hun lol,theyre so cheeky,zoe xx.
http://journals.aol.co.uk/zoepaul6968/DomesticAbuse/

Anonymous said...

Hi Ally
I have just spent some time going through your journal and, what comes through to me is, what a happy caring family you all are. It's nice to sense something lie that as opposed to the many dysfunctional families one reads about in the daily press.
My regards to all of you ( including the dogs )

BigAlf42
http://journalsaol.co.uk/bigalf42/anythinggoes/

Anonymous said...

I wonder just how long it will take the snail LOL
Terrie

Anonymous said...

another animal to add to your collection in your garden

Anonymous said...

Hi Ally!

Have you ever seen a coipoo? Not sure about the spelling.  Huuuuge rat thing you guys have over there!  We had one at the end of the lane, lived in the brushes in the big ditch. Chad and I would have to walk by there on the way to meet his kindergarten bus.  I was scared to death of it! It was as big as a medium sized dog! Probably could have eaten us both!

You just keep makin' the tea! Let the others do the hand hurty things! :)

Hugs!
Darlene
http://journals.aol.com/djohn52/AgeingGracefullyWithAllTheHelpIC/

Anonymous said...

Hi Ally,
Droped in to see how your world is. Get a gun and shoot that rat. Dan.
http://journals.aol.co.uk/deegleed/DANSIMAGES/

Anonymous said...

Hey Ally ..... I am soooo looking forward to getting out into my garden again, and getting my hands dirty.  This back thing is frustrating me so !  Well, I am glad that I can read your entries, and  hear about your adventures in the garden.  That will tide me over until I can get out among 'em !  Take care, xx  Tina

Anonymous said...

Glad you liked the jokes and my dig at men hun,we have to do it to keep em in check lol,all the best xxzoexx
http://journals.aol.co.uk/zoepaul6968/DomesticAbuse/

Anonymous said...

Hope that rat stays away!