Raccoon War Turns Nasty
It isn’t who you know, it’s who you ask. At church Sunday, Linda asked friends to suggest a company who might come do major trimming on the trees around our house, trees raccoons have been climbing to jump to the roof, thence force their way into the attic. After an initial visit to scope it out, the company came Thursday to do the trimming. What a marvelous job they did. Trimmed four large cedar trees on the east side of the house, two palm trees, three enormou oak trees, and a too tall grapefruit tree on the west side of the house. They came out with professional equipment and a crew of eight men, were here two hours and forty minutes. We are pleased beyond words. The company is Gulf Coast Tree Specialists, Inc. The owner is a certified arborist who knows trees. This is not a commercial; but yes, it is a recommendation, these folks are fast and professional.
Friend and neighbor set his raccoon trap in my side yard. First night, trapped another possum. Maybe save him to take to the Possum Festival in Wausau on the first Saturday in August? At the annual Possum Festival they offer all manner of possum dishes, fried possum, possum stew, cajun possum chili, stuffed possum, baked possum, roasted possum, sweet potato possum, even possum ice cream, and that’s no lie. Here’s a verbatim quote lifted right off their website about all the possum dishes: “The most popular treat, being, well you guessed it...Possum Ice Cream!” Couldn’t find the recipe for possum ice cream, but here’s a treat for your church Supper Club:
Baked Possum
Recipe At A Glance
Serves/Makes:   4
INGREDIENTS:
1 large possum, skinned, dressed, and washed
1 quart beer
4 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon salt
2 onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 sweet potatoes
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 ounce whiskey
DIRECTIONS:
Mix the beer, whiskey, salt, Tabasco sauce, and Worcestershire sauce together. Place possum in a large roasting pan. Sprinkle the celery, onions, and the garlic all over the possum. Pour the liquid mixture over the possum as well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350F. Place the sweet potatoes around the possum. Bake covered for 1 1/2 hours. Baste once or twice with the marinade from the pan as the possum cooks.
Son-of-a-gun, look what I came across on line while hunting that possum ice cream recipe:

Roast Raccoon with Stuffing

~ 5 - 7lb raccoon, dressed, not cut up
~ 1/2 lb sausage meat
~ 3 tbsp butter
~ 1 onion, chopped
~ 1 cup chopped celery
~ 2 tsp salt
~ 1/2 tsp pepper
~ 1/4 cup cream
~ 2 cups corn bread crumbs
~ 2 tsp sage
~ 3 tbsp chopped parsley
~ 1 tsp marjoram
~ 1/2 tsp mace
~ 1/4 cup orange juice
~ 1 cup red wine
In a skillet, saute the onion and celery in the butter. Add the sausage meat and cook until brown. Drain off the fat. In a bowl mix the sausage mixture, cream, corn bread crumbs, sage, parsley, marjoram, mace and orange juice together thoroughly. Salt and pepper the raccoon inside and out. Stuff the raccoon and close up the belly cavity. Place on a rack in a roasting pan and cook for 45 minutes per pound at 300 degrees. Turn over when half done.Baste frequently with the wine and the pan juices when they cook out.
Serve and Enjoy!
One thing's for sure, one thing's for dang sure: I sure as heck wouldn’t use no cheap wine with that.

Make that Raccoon War Turns Tasty.
TW