“The Start of the Adventure”

His mom, Peny**, was a farm rat from England. His dad Rabi** was a roof rat from Israel. Rabi decided to see the world and traveled through Europe, finally arriving in England. In London he met a pretty young rat named Peny, who had just left the farm to see what else there was in the world. After a few weeks in London, while visiting the docks by the Thames River (pronounced ‘tems”), they decided to sneak onto a tramp steamer* that was bound for America! By chance, they landed in a town called New London which sits on the Thames (pronounced like “James”) River in Connecticut.

Percy’s family lived in the 92/94/96 Bank Street building, which housed the Darrow & Comstock Ship Chandlers business. It originally opened in 1876, just a block away but now occupied the first floor and three levels of basement at its current location. It was a business that had anything you could need to maintain any kind of ship or boat including all kinds and sizes of rope. In the second level basement the wall was made from smooth river rocks, some were round, others more oval. Peny and Rabi found a deserted corner where a stone had fallen out of the wall leaving a large gap, resembling a small cave. There they made their nest, called a midden*. This was where, in 1926, Perciville Rabinowitz was born!

(when you see * check it out in the “Definitions” section)

(when you see ** check it out in the “Characters” section)

“The Beginning”

Perciville had a wonderful place to grow up. During the day there was all that rope in the lower basement to climb on and hide in, as well as all the various equipment and tools in the other two basement levels to explore. Of course, there was all the fun to be had in the actual store, once it was closed! He didn’t go up there during the day because the current co-owner and proprietor*, Ellery Nash Edwards**, didn’t like rats running around in his store and considered them a nuisance. Sea captain’s* hated rats and would never allow one on their ships, so of course it would not be proper to have them in the chandlery. As he grew and became bolder, Perciville learned that at night he could find all kinds of things of interest in the store. Beside the hole in the stores floor that his parents liked to use, he could climb up the rope for the elevator. Also, because the store was built on a steep slope, he could also squeeze under the lower basement door where he could cross the parking lot, then the train tracks and get to the rocky bank of the river.

It was there, among the rocks, that he could find lots of shiny, interesting items to take back to his midden. He could see lots of people, ships and meet traveling rats as well. All the ships that fished the local waters and the ones that sailed on long voyages to different parts of the world brought traveling rats with lots of interesting tales. There were whaling ships and for a while there was even a fleet of seal hunting boats for the trade to China. Of course, all this provided the family with a wide variety of food but also the constant challenge of staying out of sight of both men and cats!

On the second floor above the Ship Chandlery, was the meeting place for the “Jibboom Club”. This informal club of sea captains had meetings where they swapped stories of the sea and local history. It was here that Rabi (Percys father) heard many of the stories that he re-told to Perciville, which is why he would grow up learning to perceive things with a wider view.

The woodland and farm rats from all around occasionally came to visit and from them Peny (Percys mother) learned what was happening in all the nearby villages. She passed this knowledge along to Perciville. As he grew and started to ramble about, he would know where it was safe and who he might encounter*. Peny taught her son all about the town of New London. Joshua’s Hempstead House and farm was now the oldest in New London and that is where Peny met the Hempstead rat family whose matriarch* Pricilla** was the local historian. Pricilla’s family had originally come from Greece where her name meant “ancient” and they had a reputation for long lives. In fact, Pricilla’s ancestors were thought to have come all the way from northern China over three and one half million years ago. Peny would spend many an afternoon listening to her talk and then she told “Percy” all of those stories as he grew up.

One of Percy’s very good attributes* is that he learned to listen to those around him. Another one is that he was naturally a very observant* pack rat. There was so much going on everywhere he rambled, so much to see, so much to learn! Probably his best attribute is that all these experiences helped him become very perceptive! Although he is better than most, pack rats

are known to be resourceful, adaptable rodents that have been part of the history of both nature and humans. Also known as woodrats or trade rats, these intriguing creatures are characterized* by their long tails, large ears, and large, black eyes. Let’s delve* into their fascinating history:

(when you see * check it out in the “Definitions” section)

(when you see ** check it out in the “Characters” section)

"Pack rats are…”

These intriguing creatures are characterized by their long tails, large ears that extend outward, large black eyes and long whiskers. Their tales are about 50% of their body, which can be up to 8-12” long! Their color is a hybrid* of brown and grey with underbellies tending to be a lighter shade. They are born naked, helpless and must be cared for in their nest. Litters* can have as many as 5 and females can have up to 5 litters a year. They open their eyes around 10-12 days and are weaned* between 14 and 42 days. They can live 3-4 years (although in this story they live much longer!). They generally live alone and rarely drink water. They can smell emotions

(have you heard the expression “an animal can smell your fear”!?)

Woodrats thrive in various areas of North America, the forests on the east coast, the desert in Arizona to Mexico, the woodlands in the southwest and the coastal western United States. This includes burrows: sewers, caves, under rocks or even cement slabs as well as rafters and walls of houses. They are found from below sea level up to 8,000 ft. in the mountains.

The strongest rat is dominant* in the burrow or den. Males don’t protect the females burrow but they exhibit aggressive behavior when threatened. They will be defensive by sliding along or even go belly up but they will bite, box and chase if they fight. Any rat’s worst enemy is humans, followed by birds of prey, especially owls since they are both nocturnal**. They are also food for cats and snakes.

Rats are known for being attracted to shinny objects and may drop what they are carrying in favor of something like a coin or spoon! They take items that they collect and put them in their middens. Pack rats construct shelters using environmental** debris like sticks, leaves and various other materials. There have been nests found that range from 1,000 to 10,000 years old. One in Nevada was dated at 40,000 years.

(when you see * check it out in the “Definitions” section)

(when you see ** check it out in the “Characters” section)

“New London: Percy’s Early Years”

New London Connecticut, where Percy was born, was originally called Pequotauk, after the local (Pequot) Indians. It was one of the state’s first five towns and was the first official port* of the new colony. It played a big part in the colony’s early development, the revolutionary war and throughout our country’s history.

As his skill grew, Percy was now able to run up the ropes tying a ship to a wharf or pier allowing him another place to explore and the first to meet traveling rats. So many ships, so many ropes to climb! That’s how he met Nerissa**who was just a little older than Percy. Nerissa’s father had lived in a shed at the ropewalk* but she liked living under the pier where the ships unloaded. Here Percy found this to be a perfect place to learn how to run up ropes and improve his balance. He started running on the rope while it was being made! He did fall a few times, because the rope was twisting as it was made but it was no more than four feet to the ground. As this new skill grew, he was now able to run up the ropes tying a ship to a wharf or pier allowing him another place to explore and the first to meet traveling rats.

He and Neirissa became great friends and rambled around exploring many parts of New London’s waterfront. As you can imagine, these ships made a great place for a rat to travel, with all that free food! Along the docks, at all the places they stopped, would be food that got dropped or started to spoil. There were also store houses filled with new, delicious varieties of food.

The Coit Shipyard was where Cornelius** lived. Rabi** met him at the “Jibboom Club” when they were both looking for food scraps after a late evening meeting. Percy often went with his father to visit Cornelius who told many stories about the ships he had sailed on over the years! Percy always listened very carefully and learned many things that helped him become more perceptive. Now he could see all the wonderful new whale boats being built there. He even took his friend Nerissa there to see how rope made at her home near the ropewalk were being installed on these renowned whale boats! A lot of the New London maritime history was learned from Cornelius, as you will hear later on.

Born in 1678, in the house that bears his name, Joshua Hempstead the 2nd, was a farmer and ships carpenter at Coit’s shipyard, (remember-this is where Pricilla** lived years later). He kept a diary that is one of the best sources of information about the people of colonial New London and their activities. He became renowned for his whale boats One ships load would be worth around one and a half million dollars in today’s money so the captains who worked this risky, dangerous business and the businessmen who financed them could become very wealthy! Whaleling, fishing and shipping is why the Darrow and Comstock Ship Chandler was so important and why Percy met so many of his friends there.

Clarence Edwards (Skips great grandfather) had nine children and Ellery Nash Edwards was his seventh son. He needed a name for him, so he named him for his friend, Ellery Nash who was a whaling ship captain. Percy learned about him from Rabi and Cornelias, who heard stories at the “Jibboom Club”. The name Ellery became a family name that has been used by four of his descendants including Skip! (who Percy is going to meet later on)

How lucky Percy was to have friends like Nerissa, Cornelis and of course his mom’s friend Pricilla who could teach him about this special time in history!

(when you see * check it out in the “Definitions” section)

(when you see ** check it out in the “Characters” section)

This is a partial sample of one of Peciville's travels. When his book comes out, it will contain more information about the trip and some of the pictures from: "Percys trip to Seaworld San Diego"

Perciville Rabinowitz; The perceptive, rambling pack rat

“Percys Trip To Sea World, San Diego”

........ They stayed in a very nice KOA in Chula Vista (where Skip had lived the first three years). They of course, went to see Skips mom first where they had a great meal that ended with homemade applesauce and homemade cookies. YUM! Percy even went for a swim in her pool!

The second day Percy got a real treat, they went to Seaworld! Denise and Percy did not like all the traffic on the freeway and how they drove in and out of lanes so quickly but “…that’s just the way traffic is in a big city” Skip said!

At the gift shop, near the entrance Percy got to meet and have his picture taken with a bunch of baby harbor seals and walruses. Phoca, one of the harbor seals, gave Percy some tips on what the best things to see were. They stopped at the information center to get a map and plan what to see next. They for sure wanted to see the Shamu show so they picked a time and then planned what to do around that.

First was the big salt water aquarium where Percy got to see his first sea turtle. Next was the animal show but on the way there they had to wait for the Flamingo Parade to ramble by! “Never saw that before” Percy said. From the looks on most of the people’s faces, Percy perceived that they had never seen that either! The animal show was about to start so they hurried there and watched mostly dogs doing tricks but also a macaw and some ducks. How funny and entertaining........

Shamu was a “killer” whale or Orca and lived with other Orcas in three HUGE connected tanks. The main one is 35 feet deep and holds 2.2 million gallons of water! That’s enough to allow Shamu to swim fast and deep then jump up out of the water. SPLASH!!!! We all got wet! Skip laughed at the rest of us-he knew it was coming and covered himself with his windbreaker/rain coat..........

Percy got to ride the San Diego Trolly from near where they were staying all the way through part of downtown where there were many tall, cool buildings. There is a mix of old buildings, round ones and even one that looked like an obelisk! You know he loves to ride any kind of train so it was hard for him to get off instead of riding it all day but they got off right near Seaport village.......

They walked out to the park, on a jetty, to see people flying kites they had just bought at the kite shop and watch all the boats going by. This is where Skip first saw someone balancing large rocks which inspired him to learn to do the same. You’ll learn more about that in a later story.

For now, it was time to say goodbye to San Diego and ramble on. Percy perceived that there might be more trips back here because there was still a lot to see, like Balboa Park, Mission Bay, Coronado, the beaches…. Yeah, they’d be back, if Percy had anything to say about it!

“Percys Time At Rifle State Park Complex”

Percy was, for a few years, an assistant Naturalist* / Interpreter helping Skip with his talks and hikes at the Rifle State Park Complex. This included three parks: Rifle Gap, Harvey Gap and Rifle Falls. The Mission or goal of the state parks is: “To be leaders in providing outdoor recreation through the stewardship of Colorado’s natural resources for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of present and future generations.” These are things that Percy and Skip really believe in along with the concept of “Leave No Trace”, which simply means don’t damage or change any part of the park.

Although Percy was not a naturalist, he was good at connecting with visitors at the park and helping them have a meaningful experience. If they left feeling that they learned something or even were inspired to see more places or help parks in any way, then he had done his job. So, he did a lot of studying and research so that he could accurately inform people about everything in the park. He rambled around and became very good at noticing and understanding things that many people do not. (remember: he is very perceptive!)

It was also fun to hike the Coyote trail at Rifle Falls because you could see so many different parts of the ecosystem and geology. They started by a small pond which most people don’t realize is a very important part of the ecosystem here in the park. “The water flowing through here provides not only various forms of plants like ferns and watercress but also a place for frogs, salamanders and insects that become food for birds….

…

they saw turkeys roosting on some fallen trees and then crossed a little steam that fed the pond where the hike started. Next was where Rifle Creek flowed over the travertine rock of the Rifle Falls in three places. Percy explained that the large piece of pipe at the top of the falls used to be part of a long pipe that fed water to a small hydroelectric power plant that provided power to the town of Rifle….

…Just a short distance more and Percy pointed out the top of a large Lodgepole Pine Skip named “The Watchman”. Next the trail wandered down past the entrance to the Bobcat Trail that leads up to the fish hatchery (we’ll learn about that in another story). And then they stopped at the base of the Lodgepole Pine and Skip told them this poem: (you will find that in the book, when it comes out!)….

…Next along the trail are three caves. Often visitors would ask “Is there a difference between a “cave” and a “cavern”? Skip would explain that there is a difference. “A cave is any cavity in the ground that is large enough that some portion of it will not receive direct sunlight. There are many types of caves….

One of the favorite talks for the visitors is the one about the local Native Americans, the Utes. The ones from this area were: The Parianuche, known as the rabbit people or the Fish Ute who generally lived on the north side of the Grand River (now called the Colorado). On the south side of the Grand River the Sabuagana (a sub group of the Parianuche) were known as the elk people. These two Ute tribes did not get together very often because the only safe place to ford the river was 35 miles to the west! The only time the clans or bands got together were large gatherings after harvest time or in the winter. Their dwellings were caves, cliff shelves, domed brush shelters and wikiups….

….The Utes, as well as other tribes, used plants for food & medicine. This included bark from as well as a host of flowers and leaves. They were and still are very spiritual people. They had a great respect for all the natural resources nature provides. Southern Ute tribesman Clement Frost said “This land does not belong to us. We belong to the land. We utilize the land for our survival” Boy, Percy thought, we should try to live like that!

(when you see * check it out in the “Definitions” section)

(when you see ** check it out in the “Characters” section)

If you would like to read more of the story, send us a post at: www.percivillerabinowitz.blogspot.com OR e-mail at: percivillerabinowitz@gmail.com

Skins, Skulls & Tracks exhibit

The Watchman

The Watchman

Park Manager- Brian Palcer & Percy

“Is There Really A Little Mt Rushmore?”

Well, Percy found out that there is! It is near Mesquite, Nevada and was carved by Pete Karns

into the sandstone bluff overlooking Lower Flat Top Drive. The cliffside he uses for his art was created when the roads pathway was cut through the bluff, leaving a cliff on either side. Pete had been working on this for over 10 years!

It was a short, early morning drive of just over one hour. They passed through the north west corner of Arizona, including going through the Virgin River Gorge and then into Nevada. The highway wound along the Virgin River with steep canyon walls on either side that were made up of many-colored layers of sandstone. It had taken millions of years to be formed.

With Percy securely strapped to Skips backpack, they walked all along the four sections of the murals. You will see pictures of some of them at the end of this short story! The first image carved was of Mount Rushmore. Since then, there are now murals including: ….

(when you see * check it out in the “Definitions” section)

(when you see ** check it out in the “Characters” section)

(The full story will be in the upcoming book)