An Escalation of Vermin

Yesterday morning as I fixed breakfast for the dogs, I noticed the water in the cat bowl was all muddy. El Diablo Blanco was there and I said, "What the heck is that all about?" I dumped the water, changed it and thought nothing of it. Later, I brought out recycling and a raccoon scampered away from our cat's feeding area. Damn it, we can't have a raccoon taking up residence in the barn. I woke up Dave after he'd had three hours of sleep between 12hr shifts. A raccoon that should be hibernating running loose in the barn? We have never seen a raccoon in the eleven years we've lived here. After spotting him I was very creeped out. I feared he would jump out any second to attack my leg. Dave and I brainstormed about it.

Dave: "I don't think I can just shoot it."
Me: "What about trapping it to relocate to the Fairfax property?"
Dave: "It is illegal to transport a raccoon."
Me: "What the hell is a person to do? It's eating our cat food, bathing in their water dish, it even shit on top of the hay!"

Dave got up, called someone who knows more about this than we do, then got his gun ready. After spending nearly an hour trying to get a good shot, I heard "Pop, pop, pop." Before hearing the pops I paced inside, afraid to venture out and get between that raccoon and a gun. Poor little guy, he didn't want to be here any more than we wanted him here. When Dave came in after a successful mission, he told me the racoon was hiding in the hot tub. The hot tub? First thing that came to mind was a raccoon relaxing with a cigarette and a martini. Actually the outside panel was adjar and the little guy was hiding among the hardware.

We both feel bad. However, with our kids and animals we can't have wild raccoons taking up residence here.