The New Adventures Of Ranger Rick

Last night's raccoon on the deck thing? Turned out to be one of the funniest "animals in the wild" stories I have ever been involved with.

I was sitting in my office when I heard noises outside on and near the deck. The wind was blowing a little so I thought it could have been that knocking the barrels around but alas, it was Rick the Raccoon, foraging for his dinner. When he looked up at me on the deck (from the raised rock wall/grassy area below which is where the trash is kept) he turned and scurried along out back in to the dark. The barrel was knocked over so Ryun went out, picked it up, and put the cover back on tightly. A few minutes later? Rick was back at it again, and this time, he "hung out" long enough for me to capture the picture I posted a couple of entries back. After he made his way back in the woods again, Ryun went out again, but this time? He put a pail of cold water on top of the barrel. I had planned on going to bed but this? Was going to be FUNNY. So I stayed in the office, waiting to hear noises indicating that the raccoon was back. He didn't disappoint, but he didn't even go near the original and only barrel with trash even in it. So Ryun? He's getting slightly annoyed at this point and goes out and pours vinegar all over the ground and on the barrel in question. Not one to let a little strongly smelling vinegar keep him way, Rick came back again and when I tried to capture another picture of him, looked at me mockingly and ran away. This time? Ryun went out with a bucket full of popcorn laced with bleach. I though this might have been a taking it a little too far (not that I am Miss. Humane Society or something but I didn't want the poor thing dead, nor any other animals that may happen by). Ryun still had somewhat of a sense of humor about it though and said half jokingly, "I don't give @#$%, I am sick of cleaning up after him." And yes, you guessed it, the dang thing came back. He looked at the bucket, sniffed at the ground and left. I have no idea if he made any return visits during the night because I went to sleep. Ryun went out this morning and removed the still full container of popcorn, finding no evidence that any of it had been eaten. It still reeks of vinegar out there.

The whole thing was really kind of funny.