Our good friend, Ed, who by the way, graciously lets us use his wonderful photos, recently bought a neat little "top of the world" weekend retreat. It happened when we noticed the "For Sale " sign on the firetower property across the hollow from us, on the appropriately named, Fire Tower Road. Jack immediately emailed Ed with the message, "How would you like to own the Firetower?" Ed came up from Fort Smith, and a short time later he was the owner of a little historic piece of property with a firetower and original tower keeper's cottage on it. With only a small amount of repair and remodeling, he moved in. Only to find out he wasn't alone. This is his story.
The previous owners were somewhat eccentric (but that's another story) and left everything, including a very neatly stacked woodpile, in place for new owners. Ed became suspicous when he noticed a large,well-maintained, nest in that woodpile. It was too large for the average mouse or rat, and had some very curious objects stored there, including animal droppings, and was covered with a piece of old newspaper. Ed tore it down, only to find it was restored the next weekend. Occasionally he would catch a glimpse of a critter, larger that a rat, and without the usual hairless rattail. After online research, and consulting Jack, the biology teacher, he determined he was sharing his retreat with a pack rat. Not caring to share with any kind of rat, he set out traps and poison. He came back the next weekend--no rat in the traps, and a pile of little rat poison pieces had been neatly stored in the nest. Again, it was covered with old newspaper. When entering the shed, Ed would occasionally catch glimpses of the critter as he scurried out of sight And, even though he now knew what it was, it was somewhat unnerving to open the shed door and hear a strange scurrying sound.
Ed was now getting fond? of the creature who was so determined to make his home there. He had even given the him a name--Willard. With a little encouragement from Larissa and others, he decided to relocate the critter. Using peanut butter in a Have a Heart trap, he caught him the first night. After short photo session with the rat (Ed "shoots" everything), he and Larrisa took a trip down 103 to find him a new home. Choosing what they thought was a perfect new home for a pack rat (we won't tell where for fear the neighbors would object!) they set the trap on the ground and opened the door. Obviously, Willard wasn't ready to relocate. He ran directly back to the truck, and if not for Ed's quick actions, he would have attached himself to the underside of the truck for a ride back to the Firetower! He was finally shown the way out of the truck and disappeared into the grass.
Now, everytime we drive by the old, abandoned house where Willard now lives (we hope), we remember the obstinate little critter and wish him luck, or "good riddance", as Ed says.
"All creatures great and small, the Lord God loveth all"
