From a distance the home of Ray and Roxanne looks like something man made.
From a distance you can not see into the portion of the cage above ground. But
ray and roxie can see out. The visual effect of the mesh is somewhat like a one
way mirror. Inside you don’t see the walls if your eye sight is as bad as a
rat’s or rather your rat eye focuses on the fox just outside on the other side.

In time the zinc plated wire mesh will weather and dull but for the moment it
was as bright as a new american quarter. Maury had taken the time to set the
cage exactly square with the fence line. Not every fence line was a stone
fence. To help Shannon who will be drawing the pictures remember the field –
their home was located on the east/west fence just above (south) of the year
round spring and on the west side of the spring.

From their new home Ray and Roxanne could see the homestead or farm yard where
they’d spent their first few days on Castlehom. How little could they know
how the style and location of their new home would shape the events of the summer months. Their transplanted lab cage was the nearest to the spring and given that it reflected the sun like a mirror every rat knew where Ray lived. Rats smell better than they see but one way or another sense
everyone knew where Ray and Roxie lived.

Maggie had insisted that Maury and kv put a couple week’s supply of grain in
each cage so strictly speaking the prudient thing to do was to only go out at
night for a drink and some careful scouting. Tim Fox had already bagged a few.

Maybe it was being pregnant or maybe it was being in love but Roxanne was happy
To stay in her new house. If you waited for the morning dew there was no need
to go down to Spring as to a Rat the big drops of dew water on the morning grass and clover was fluilds enough. Roxanne only went out with Ray and if
he hissed a warning she dashed back to the cage. Ray always went thru the hole
2nd as it took him a second given the muscles he’d built up two years opening
doors. Once or twice he nipped Roxanne when she did not run fast enough but he
never went 1st. Roxanne was so happy. She loved the taste of cool wet clover at 2:00 am in the morning and back home from the exursion there was still some heat in the flat stones and warm rocks notwithstanding she had Ray to
cuddle. cuddling with Ray was better than being cold and alone which is how she
had felt back at the lab but neber here in the new world.

Roxanne wouls sleep most of the morning. the afternoon’s was for visitors. By
then the rocks are warm from the sun and besides there was still the afternoon sun to luxuriate in. Right this instant there were six maybe eight rats visiting. I was surprised to see there a couple males and none of the jockeying for power that male rats tame and lab never quite seem able to overcome. But Ray’s their man. Opening cage doors may not seem like much but really what more is there. It has made him strong in shoulder and big rat hands but more than that – how does he do it.

“What is Happening Ray.”

Truth be known, Ray don’t know but he’s working on it.

Just then there is something happening. The ten rats look up thru the steel mesh cage and their visual field is filled with fox. He’s no more danger than an image of a fox on
A TV but he’s real fox Tim Fox only two real feet away.

So to the what’s happening question Ray replied, “I don’t know but with Tim Fox camping outside I’d think a sleep over is in order.” This pleased Roxie. She loved Ray now when he was being so smart so in charge and later when the heat was about gone from the flat rocks he was so hot but nothing compares to the body heat of a “rat pile” of ten Dumbos so inbred they may as well be clones.

It’s better than Beethovan’s Ode to Joy. Or so says Roxanne. They used to play it in the lab she came from and she kind of misses it.

“Ray – could we get cable next month.”