Damn Charles, why'd you have to become all human supremacist about some rats playing at the park! Leave 'em to their fun! xD

Well, hell has officially frozen over. I actually enjoyed a mudede piece.

I live in the woods and for a while I put a bird feeder out.
It kinda worked.
Then rather abruptly the birds quit coming. One morning from my window I spotted the culprit- a Coopers hawk.
I had to marvel at how totally comfortable he was in the tangled understory, a bird I associate with soaring and hunting in the open, riding thermals.
My hat is off to the Coopers hawks, and ravens, and coyotes. They're survivors with a bit more dignity than crows and rats.

Wow. I can't even enjoy a fluff piece by Mudede. Why is he in the park during lockdown anyway, and why does he feel like he has to restore the "natural order" where rats (actually naturally intelligent, playful creatures) need to go back to living in fear of the powerful?

Good christ @9 he was making a goddamn observation of altered behavior and parks, yes, you can go to. Only the playgrounds are closed.

Saw I coyote out in the morning on the UW campus. I've seen them on campus before, but only in the middle of the night. I was surprised to see one in the daylight.

Thank you Charles for an expertly written, ostensibly uplifting article (for rats). The last two paragraphs are superb. Around every corner lurks danger, etc.

"What a wonderful opportunity COVID-19, a virus the rats obviously know nothing about, has presented. It's almost a vacation from the monsters of their world. The time to have fun in the sun is now. We shall tumble down the slope. Let us hop, skip, and jump.

While waiting for a green light on the corner of Rainier Avenue and South Oregon Street, I turned and had one last look at the park. I wanted see if other rats were also having a good time. But instead I saw low in the sky directly above the playfield an urban raptor. It looked like a Cooper's hawk."

So there's nothing else to write about....good job...?

They've been out in broad daylight in Pioneer Square and DT for YEARS. Old news!!!!

I very much liked this read. It's nice to see some people are slowing down to see the world around them. Being present in the moment.

Thank you for being in the moment.

I guess everyone has a bad day, but they laid off the guy who does the horoscopes and kept this?