This morning while Bear was snuffling around in the yard I glimpsed out of the corner of my eye a small brown hump in the brick barbecue hearth; we never light it because a bush refuses to stop growing over it, and soil has started to build up in there and produce a bit of grass and occasionally a weed I pull. It was a rat; she tried to get up the sides but couldn't, and finally hopped out when Bear was finished and we turned to go inside. Bear was oblivious.
.