Rats!

There are pests on Kauai.

I hate to be the one to inform you, but there are "no see-ums" that sting your arms and legs in the night like mosquitos. And jelly fish in the ocean that sting if you barely brush against them. And 7-inch-long black centipedes that can outrun you. And grossest of all, huge cockroaches that come out at night.

There are mice that come in the garage for the birdseed.

And then there was the RAT.

Bob and I heard the rattling around in the garage one morning. We cornered a big rat, and tried to catch him with a bamboo rake, but he got away.

So, we set a trap. BINGO! We didn't know what to do then, because he was still alive, with the trap around his neck. I couldn't loosen him and flush him like we do with mice. So, Bob and I decided to bury him. If you are prone to be squeamish, stop reading here.

Bob dug a hole, at least a foot and a half deep, at the front end of the pineapple patch at the left side of the driveway. We dropped the rat in, trap and all. He wasn't squealing that much. We tamped the dirt down good and firm.

Next day, as I was trimming the ferns and palms that tend to grow over the walkway around the house, I let out a scream that brought Bob running. I was at the right edge of the driveway, and there at my feet, trap and all....

Was the RAT that wouldn't die!