Racoon in the Rafters,...
Bats in the Belfry, Cats in the Cradle, Man in the Moon
Our house is a funky 1959 home with exposed beams throughout the structure. This morning at 5:50 AM as I was heading for the gym, I walked out to get the paper and my motion sensor lights came on(normal). I happened to glance back at my car,...and noticed a furry tail in the rafters above the storage area, above my car. It was black and grey striped. I moved in for a closer look. It was a racoon! He was just lounging on the beam, probably just settling in for a long winters nap(it's chilly this morning). He seemed to have the same expression, staring into the bright flood lights, that my son has when I first turn the lights on in his room on a school day morning. But he must have known the light cycle, that they would go off in 10 minutes,...cause he wasn't moving. He didn't seem afraid of me,...and for good reason. Actually for two good reasons,....1. sharp teeth and 2. sharp claws that racoons are not afraid to use, especially if they are awakened from a sound sleep by a bright light. The photo is dim due to inadequate light(which is why he chose that spot for sleeping in the day,...they are nocturnal you know). But this morning he was "lit up" with my two 150 watt flood lights, which well illuminated the subject. He looked friendly, cute and cuddly,...but I know better. I even spoke to him(first I checked to see if I had any early rising neighbors to judge me looney) . I just spoke two words,...."kill rats!",...seems we have had a dry summer and the rat population has increased("we haven't had rain in months!", cried Minnie, then with passion in her eyes she grabbed Micky by the lapels and lustily whispered, "take me now you big rat, you!"). Then I went to the gym, after my work out I picked up the kids at 7:15 to take to school. I relayed the story to them and they wanted to stop and see if he/she/it was still there(our house is on the way),..and it was still snoozing, facing away from the light. One carpooler is a 5th grade boy and a big hunter, said he could exterminate it for me. I said no thanks,...the racoon may be exterminating for me("kill rats!"). He was still out there when I returned from the school run at 8. I don't think he's moving until evening(they are nocturnal, you know). Sleep well little racoon and appreciate my peaceful and gentle hand, for surely my ancestors would have knocked you in the head with a shovel and thrown you in the oven with some taters.
4 comments:
it looks like it is just a baby, by the look of his face. did you know that when i was about 7 or so, we were driving down the road in south houston (dad was stationed at ellington air force base), and dad saw a dead 'possum on the raod. funny thing was its stomach was still moving. dad being the curious little bugger he is, and growing up in the country, he was wantin' see to check it out. come to find out, the thing was a she, and its babies were crawlin' around. we took the babys to sam houston zoo, and they let us in for free for helpin' find the 'possum litter a new home there at the zoo. cool, huh?
tho the photo makes him appear to be small, he is not. he was there at lunch, still "sawing logs".
that sounds like fun!! well i guess it would, you don't seem them everyday. i can see that deer in headlights thing from holden very well in my mind. i feel the same way when my alarm goes off for the first time, then i shut it off and go back to sleep for 8-9 minutes. ok i gtg now, i'm at school writing this(trade school). well hope y'all are doin' all right.
ttyl,
Kristin
I'm sorry to say that my story of the possum we discovered in our yard a few days ago does not have a happy ending. After watching it off and on for several hours just laying about and moving only a few feet across the yard (in broad daylight, mind you), I realized there was something seriously wrong with this creature. My first thought was that it had probably been hit by a car, but it showed no external signs of injury. Then I remembered hearing reports of rabid raccoons in and around the city. No vets, nature center rescues or friendly passage to the zoo for this critter. My remedy: An old family tradition called "off with its head." Only I found out that possums are very tough-skinned animals. Let's just say I thought I was about to perform a humanitarian act of mercy, but it was not the speedy, quietly-go-into-the-night passing that befell this poor possum. It all ends neatly, however, with a box at the curb and a quick call to Dead Animal Pick-up (a number I should remember to enter in our speed-dial).
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