Where we last left off our story of conquest, corn and cat laziness, Jason had declared war on the rodent population eating the chicken feed and pooping in our chickens’ coop.

(While we call it the Rat Wars, the size of the creatures suggests it’s not the disgustingly large urban Seattle black rat, but some kind of smaller mouse contingent. Jason in fact says they are cute, small, pale and probably mice.  But he has become embittered after being in the trenches (and digging trenches and filling them with gravel). A damned, dirty little war with little to show for it so far except Lowe’s receipts… )

Despite the gravel, the boarding up of gaps, and all measures so far into 2020, so far the little sneaks in the night have been winning. Our aging and arthritic cat has sworn off being a predator, preferring hairball treats, and so alone and into the night after work, Jason has battled for the terrain of chicken.

The Rat War has laid heavily upon his soul. The little buggers are relentless in their desperation (it’s been a cold, wet Seattle winter.) He has done all the passive agressive measures a PNW resident can muster up (and that’s plenty) to try and thwart the little beasts. They chew through wood and dig intricate tunnels in dirt.

Jason, the kind of man who scoots spiders onto papers and shoos them out windows instead of stomping on them like I do, is no bloodthirsty killer. But time had turned him into a grim shadow of his former self. He sighed mightily.

“It’s time for the peanut butter,” he said sadly, and Saturday night set out a trap with a dollop of peanut button on each one.

The chickens were inspired with SUCH POWER for this endeavor.

Mindful of his last failure, this time he laid the peanut butter on thick.

What happened next?!! Tune in to the next exciting saga of man vs. mouse! Or thief in the night vs chickenfeed!!!