Rat Burning

Pam had several big dead pet rats in her freezer waiting for a proper send off. They had died separately of natural pet rat causes and she wrapped them and put them in the freezer because she wanted to have a special funeral for them. Finally we arranged to have a party where we could burn the rats. We invited a few dozen people and I built a fire pit behind my studio in Sarasota. The rats were still frozen when Pam brought them over. I put them in the microwave to defrost. Not a good idea. It softened the critters up but the studio smelled like wet rat fur for a week afterwards. Pam made dozens of beautiful hand painted paper hats that featured paintings of rats. She passed them out and people wore them throughout the evening. We made a box with a cardboard effigy of a rat and she put her beloved friends in it. Then as "mourners" gathered around Pam said a few words of tribute and set the box into the fire. They burned very well. The neighborhood soon smelled like burnt flesh. There was dancing and the usual party mayhem until late in the night.