THE OBSERVATION BOOTH
OP / ED & PHOTOS BY: ANDREA DIALECT
Calling someone a “rat” usually means calling them an informant; it also signifies a drunkard, a cheating husband, or a pirate by Google’s definition of the word. My intent has nothing to do with that.
In contrast, I like the little fella, and in my opinion, the so called nuisance isn’t all that bad. When living outside of my home of course. So today we won’t be looking for any dirty rats we’re looking on the good side. It’s a rat’s tenacity and agility that we adore. We meaning my permanent muse (L.I.T Models) or ongoing features and myself who take the name Hood Rat on willingly when were enjoyably stumbling around those Hoodscapes looking for the perfect scene.
HOOD RAT
When I walk around my hood or some other, no matter what town, state, or country in view, I see beauty everywhere. Every mere inch of it can be utilized at my discretion; creativity is so lucrative in this place that I can stretch out my hand and grab my fill at any moment. It is so much of it that I become drunk and must turn it off. In this time & space, I need for nothing! – Mz. Dialect
(Take the challenge. Check out this life puzzle. Can you decrypt this script?)
Sometimes they scream, laugh, and holler; others run & some look away. Then you got the bold ones who stop and stare, but it’s a short stay. Others never notice I’m there. Then some do, that drop me a crumb or two. Yet, despite those reactions, I keep scurrying about, checking things out. You’ll likely be on your own when you’re on the prowl for the unknown. There are things to know, places to go, and people to see. Who knows where I’ll end up finding me?
Risk is a factor when you don’t venture out because nests are like traps when you stay. For me, getting dirty means burrowing below, reaching shelter at depths hidden so deep that the time zone changes within feet; climbing the highest scraper as far as the sky goes to find a piece of me that only an upward scope shows. By highways or byways, who knows?
I’ll even trek suburbia’s manicured fronts laden with trees, now those I enter with ease. Yet, most have become such a bore as oftentimes homes that are pretty inside and out would intrigue me much more. Many evade projects, buildings and rats detesting groupings at sight, a clever trick by the same mode. Perhaps choosing to ignore existence and all else as living alone; mine or even that of their own from the confines of that mind in that humble abode.
But, luckily during my quest, when dinner is left out, I find delicacies of the choicest pickin’ to gnaw; a blessing for sure. In exchange they litter and I tidy up, such evidence can be traced when left behind, just to remind. Most likely about the house in areas, around the perimeters of walls, crevices, above floors, and those gaping holes that become doors giving a new meaning to waste. A dirty rat, you say, knows nothing of manners of sorts. Making holes when they cannot find an in as scaling those pipes and ledges on their scavenger hunt for more; they return to the pack once those morsels have been found. A bit of a nuisance for sure when scratchin’ the walls of those minds every time we sit on our behinds dozing when we should be on our grind. That’s the kind of dirty rat that I am, that I am! – Copyright Andrea Dialect
DO YA KNOW THAT GOOGLE SAID THAT…
Being a rat means…
In slang. a person who abandons or betrays their party or associates, especially in a time of trouble; an informer.
The term rat may be used to describe other smaller mammals that are not rats, such as North American pack rats and a number of species called kangaroo rats.
A rat’s appearance varies depending on species, but overall, rats are medium-sized rodents with long tails. Their tail is one of their most distinctive characteristics, and it ranges in length from slightly shorter than the body to considerably longer than the body. While their tails often appear hairless and smooth, they are actually covered with very short, fine hairs.
Rats are generally slender with a pointed head, large eyes, and prominent ears. They have moderately long legs with long, sharp claws. The bald soles of their narrow hind feet possess fleshy pads of variable size, depending on species. Rats come in a variety of colors, including black, white, gray, brown and red. They can also be spotted or multi-colored, but those are most often rats bred as pets.
Diet:
A common misconception about rats is that they eat everything. However, the diet of a rat depends on the species. This misconception may have developed as a result of the highly adaptable brown rat and house rat. House rats eat nearly anything digestible, especially stored grains, when living humans. Meanwhile, the brown rat is omnivorous but prefers a carnivorous diet. Brown rats hunt a wide range of prey, including shrimp, snails, mussels, insects, and bird eggs.
A rat’s habitat strongly influences its diet. For example, rat species found in rainforests, such as the Sulawesian white-tailed rat and Hoffman’s rat, eat only fruit and the seeds within. Other rainforest species, such as the Philippine forest rat (R. everetti), also eat insects and worms. Meanwhile, other tropical species, such as the rice-field rat (R. argentiventer), primarily consume the insects, snails, slugs, and other invertebrates found in their habitats.
Habitat:
Rats can be found in a variety of habitats. Rats can be found in a variety of habitats. Some species can be found in the wilderness, such as woods and forests, as well as fields and meadows. There are also wild tree rats that live on tropical islands.
They are often found around human populations, as they tend to infest any area that provides food, water, and shelter. The common species are opportunistic survivors and are known as commensals.
Geography:
Rats can be found on every continent except Antarctica. They are in nearly every area inhabited by human beings. Antarctica is the only rat-free continent because it is too cold for rats to survive outdoors, and it lacks human habitation that provides shelter and food.
The Observation Booth is utilized as a space for Andrea Dialect to stumble through, which aids in life and brand development. It can also be used by readers, subjects, and features to assist or advance our world or their own. It is a peek into one’s world from the outside. It is also for the development of content.
Everything printed here is in draft form; thus, error is welcomed and to be expected. Everything is constantly evolving, is her mantra. Seeing the work in printed format is the initial step and is quite valuable and therapeutic for developing all forms. Like Everything, Andrea Dialect uses this space as a test lab for test study and a test subject.
Here you will also find influencers, professionals, and muses who are considered “clay” who lend their image to change as doing us proud who are contributors to the upward progress of human progress. It is a platform for the growth, inspiration, motivation, and development of herself, her subjects, and her readers. Enjoy.
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