When the weather is nice, Melly, Bakersfield, the rabbits and I like to chill out on the front porch. The rabbits usually keep their distance, some complaint they have about me chasing them. And Melly sits in a chair. But Bakersfield and I spend some real quality time.

You can see that Melly has set the porch up nicely for us. I have a comfy bed and Bakersfield has a nice padded box and a couple of long tubes to run through. Surprisingly, Bakes cannot jump off the porch. He appears to be afraid of heights.

At any rate, you know me, I get along with everyone…or at least everyone who isn’t scared of me and I don’t scare them. That pretty much leaves Bakersfield. He smells a lot like a capybara but he’s way too small to be one. This intrigues me.

I thought Bakes understood the nature of our relationship. Yes, of course we are friends but I am Rodent Royalty and he is one of my minions. Turns out he does not make a very good minion.

I had just eaten a banana (I was saving the peel for later), when Bakersfield came up and, neat as you please, picked it up in his sharp rodent teeth. Then he started backing up. As if I wouldn’t notice that he was going backward and carrying my banana peel with him! Oh, he’s the sneaky one. Much sneakier than Fluffy the Squirrel.

Bakes is quicker than you’d think. I’m not saying anything, it’s just that he’s put on a little weight since he came to live here. Nevertheless, he had that banana peel into his box in nothing flat!

I think a large part of being Royalty is knowing when to pursue a transgressor and when to just let it slide. Sure, the peel is the best part, but generosity is a regal quality, or it should be.

Eat well, little rat.