FELLOW URBANITES

There were four of us observing them while waiting for the bus, and there were four of them. Four adults and a youngster. Who was still quite small. They would stick their furry heads out, observe keenly to see if the coast was clear, and if it was scoot over to where the food lay, or otherwise duck back into their hiding space when a car came up the street.
From my distance I could not see their tails.
Not enough light.

Despite their size they were bold.

They had to be.

When you're hungry, and there is so much delicious numiness within scooting range, you must be adventurous. And as long as as the humans at the bus stop don't make any threatening moves, you may eat.

While watching them I kind of thought about bubonic plague, incidents of which would stop the tourist industry dead in its tracks. So something good would come of it if they became too problematic. Given a choice between tourists and rodents, I'll pick the rodents.

As you can tell, I have become somewhat negative about tourists.

The two Dutch girls at the bar excepted. Nice bright people from Utrecht, one of whom is staying here to study, her friend had just completed several months doing that in Canada and was visiting her. As I always do I had listened to identify the language they were speaking, but once I identified it, had not butted in. I've been back in the States too long to have anything worthwhile to say to people from the old sod.

Fortunately it had not rained while I had smoked my pipe earlier at the usual spot. We've had very Dutch weather lately. In one of Douglas Adam's books he mentions a truck driver who without knowing it was a rain god, so wherever he went, the weather was lousy. Much like we've had for the past two weeks. I often like to suggest to people that they are like that.

Which is of course a ridiculous accusation.

I will not allow the obvious presence of rain god truckers in the city to interfere with my lunch plans today. Come hell or high water, fish and rice, with soup and milk tea. As usual. Tea and a biscuit two hours later after shopping. I have an umbrella, there are awnings and doorways, and I've got a coat. And I don't melt in the rain. Like the rats, I will take the risk.



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