There is something–some creature–living in my attic. I heard it early this morning when I was lying in bed awake, hoping that I would fall back asleep. It sounded like it was rolling something (an acorn maybe?) back and forth just above my head. It–whatever it was–scurried.

ruled out:

• Bat: Bats have gone wherever it is they go in the winter (where do they go?).
• Chipmunk: Too ballsy for a chipmunk. Plus, I think they head underground for winter.
  

possibilites:

• field mouse: this is what Allen is betting on. We know there is one (or more) in our basement as we have seen the.. ahem… evidence. We also know how it got into our basement (through the rather large hole we had not noticed). Allen thinks this mouse climbs up to the attic through the walls (or at least that’s what he tells me). Honestly, I’m not scared or bothered by mice, per se, BUT I do know that their poop can be dangerous to humans (if ingested or inhaled in some way).
• red squirrel: oh they are wily, those red squirrels. If there is a way, they will find a way. I’m betting on the red squirrel. The scurrying sounded more substantial than mouse scurrying. It sounded like squirrel scurrying. Also, there’s the question of the rolling object–an acorn would be fitting for a red squirrel. Also, there is an oak branch that reaches our roof–a perfect spot for a red squirrel to crawl in through one of the vents. The problem with red squirrels is that they are set on destruction. They love to chew wires and set houses on fire.
• other: I shudder to think what else could be up there. Any ideas?