Raccoons

Yesterday my welcome home from HNEC Monday morning staff meeting was to be greeted by Linda somewhat panicked. There had been a vicious raccoon fight in the attic over our bedroom; plus, she had heard the animals scuffling on a roof jut-out that’s over the laundry room and under the firescape (yes, my enormous 1912-1913 house has a fire escape, that’s a blog posting for another morning, perhaps). 

My first step was to make loud noises in the attic to drive them out. My further exploration had to stop suddenly upon hearing the familiar and very obvious sound of a quite large raccoon heading toward the newly discovered entry and exit hole where I was searching with a flashlight. 

The last time raccoons made a major visitation, a couple years ago, the most help we could get from local pest control outfits was an offer to rent us traps. It ended the dark and early rainy, stormy morning that water came dripping through the ceiling and onto us in bed. Going immediately into the attic, I found that raccoons had torn a hole in the roof and water was pouring in. That early dawn, I stuffed a plastic garbage bag in the hole to keep the rain out, and when daylight came, called Price’s Right Roofing. Repairs had to be made and a complete new roof had to be installed on the old main part of the house (the other two buildings that make up our house are newer -- 1997 and 2002 -- construction and the roofs are new). 

But yesterday in the Yellow Pages we found an ad with a picture of a raccoon, Critter Control. They came over from Mobile, Alabama, went round and through the house and both attics and up on the roof, found raccoon droppings, entry and exit points, and raccoon fur. We now have a contract with them to drive the animals out and seal the place to keep them out permanently. Fortunately, no extermination involved, just ejection. Or perhaps not so fortunate.

Raccoons are blessed by being so cute and beguiling. Don’t fall for it.

At last Tuesday morning’s Bible Seminar we finished our perusal of the entire gospel of Mark. This morning we will return to the Apocrypha, our primary focus for the Epiphany Season, look at the four really interesting short stories, Tobit, Judith, Susanna, and Bel & the Dragon, and read two of them. 

Do come. Everyone is invited, welcome, and wanted!

PAX to God’s people this morning.

POX to God’s raccoons.

Tom+