Things you can't unsee

I hate rats.

I really, really hate rats.

What does that have to do with anything? Well, I just popped out to get my mail. My neighbor was out there and pointed out a dead rat in a tree near my apartment building.

Not just any kind of dead rat, mind you. The head was torn off and flies are having a field day with what's left dangling from the branches.

Now we're both wondering how the hell it got up there and where's the head???

My theory: a hawk or condor got it, bit off the head, and dropped the body, which got stuck in the branches.

Of course, I probably would never have noticed this if my neighbor hadn't pointed it out. Until I saw the flies, I thought the body was a dead leaf. Now... ugh.

That image is sticking with me for a good, long time. Yuck.