Sharing is caring. Right?

Rats moved in last summer. Maybe they were seeking shelter from the baking hot summer. I first heard them scuttling in the ceiling and rustling under the house rearranging the insulation for their nests.

Most of them were anonymous, but two made an impression.

Tomato Rat and Olive Rat.

I’d often see Tomato Rat dash past my office door that opens out to the back garden. Cute, in a way, until I realised my cherry tomatoes were disappearing at their first blush of colour.

Olive Rat was sneakier. Never showing it’s pointy little whiskered face, just a trail of olive pits and green-brown shavings near it’s hole under the front deck.

I had a mental picture of Templeton from Charlottes Web (but more likeable) until I set up a trail camera and had an actual photo of Olive Rat. (I couldn’t get a photo of Tomato Rat. Maybe it was the sneakier of the two after all.)

In the end, I decided to share the harvest. Killing them for fruit I wanted but didn’t need felt too mean and their diligence was admirable, though I remained conflicted as honestly they were really greedy.

After summer faded I didn’t see my two rodent friends any more. Maybe the cats that had started visiting got them, but I like to imagine they moved on to new pastures, with only this chewed fruit left behind.

Macro photograph of dried olive pit with all flesh removed, showing the detail of texture and fibrous veins . Shot against a vignetted rich warm coloured background.
Macro photograph of a chewed olive pit with some dried flesh attached, showing detailed texture and some fibrous veins. Isolated against a rich warm vignetted background.
Macro photograph of dried olive pit with all flesh removed, showing the detail of texture and fibrous veins . Shot against a vignetted rich warm coloured background.
Macro photograph of a chewed olive pit with some dried flesh attached, showing detailed texture and some fibrous veins. Isolated against a rich warm vignetted background.
Macro photograph of dried olive pit with all flesh removed, showing the detail of texture and fibrous veins . Shot against a vignetted rich warm coloured background.
Macro photograph of a chewed olive pit with some dried flesh attached, showing detailed texture and some fibrous veins. Isolated against a rich warm vignetted background.
Macro photograph of dried olive pit with all flesh removed, showing the detail of texture and fibrous veins . Shot against a vignetted rich warm coloured background.
Macro photograph of a chewed olive pit with some dried flesh attached, showing detailed texture and some fibrous veins. Isolated against a rich warm vignetted background.
Macro photograph of dried olive pit with all flesh removed, showing the detail of texture and fibrous veins . Shot against a vignetted rich warm coloured background.
Macro photograph of a chewed olive pit with some dried flesh attached, showing detailed texture and some fibrous veins. Isolated against a rich warm vignetted background.
Macro photograph of dried olive pit with all flesh removed, showing the detail of texture and fibrous veins . Shot against a vignetted rich warm coloured background.
Macro photograph of a chewed olive pit with some dried flesh attached, showing detailed texture and some fibrous veins. Isolated against a rich warm vignetted background.
Macro photograph of dried olive pit with all flesh removed, showing the detail of texture and fibrous veins . Shot against a vignetted rich warm coloured background.
Macro photograph of a chewed olive pit with some dried flesh attached, showing detailed texture and some fibrous veins. Isolated against a rich warm vignetted background.
Macro photograph of dried olive pit with all flesh removed, showing the detail of texture and fibrous veins . Shot against a vignetted rich warm coloured background.
Macro photograph of a chewed olive pit with some dried flesh attached, showing detailed texture and some fibrous veins. Isolated against a rich warm vignetted background.
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The time to give up