Rocky Raccoon

I often feel like I have moved to Funny Farm. We have an abundance of deer, wild turkeys, red tailed hawks, foxes, and other critters in our yard. I don't really mind them, except when they eat all my flowers and vegetables. But still, harmless.

Well.
I was walking home from the bus stop the other day and noticed a LOT of flies alighting on something in the yard. Walked a little closer, saw that it was big and hairy. Did not walk any closer after that.

Being the mother of the year that I am, I gave Kate some binoculars and told her to go outside, take a peek, and report back what she saw. She reported a black and grey striped tail, leading us to believe it was a raccoon. Raccoons are cute in cartoons or on the cover of Ranger Rick, but not when they are dead in my yard.

So. Commence my freaking out and trying to figure out how to get dead raccoon out of my yard. Husband was out of town (of course). Dad suggested thick gloves and a lot of garbage bags. Clearly, he does not know me.

Vultures started landing on the deck during dinner and that is when I uh, indulged my inner girl and called danny crying about the dead animals and the birds that eat them all over our yard.

This sets the kids off, who refuse to eat their dinner in case any 'dead raccoons got in it'.

So finally, I get ahold of a pest guy who agrees to come pick up the remains of Rocky Raccoon.
The price of getting a dead animal shoveled out of your hard?

A small $250.

Awesome.

Kate posted this note on our front door. She is ever so helpful.



(Please do not come in our yard. No going that way <-----. There is a dead raccoon in the yard. )