critters

On New Years night I heard the mice (or the rats?) squeaking again, through the fan in the bathroom. Yesterday I got six old-fashioned spring traps, but I haven't set them up yet. I was coming home on the T, reading the health care paper, when someone touched my shoulder. I looked up and was very happy to see Alka. We chatted about raccoons and her father rolling down Mount Tam and my windows, and we exchanged phone numbers. We were parting ways in front of my house when I noticed a raccoon at the top of my brick stairs. It looked large and unfriendly. We tried moving out of its sight but it merely hunkered down (probably could hear our voices). So I went with her to her house and met her father, who is visiting from Canada, and he insisted that I eat. He'd made three dishes -- a dal, a cauliflower and pea curry, and something with lentils and potatoes. Brad came downstairs in a terrycloth robe. The two little dogs (Ubu and Jemmy) got used to my smell. We all had a nice chat about movies and politics. Alka walked me back across the street with a flashlight, just in case, but the raccoon was gone.