Posted by PS on December 21, 2004 at 20:07:20:
Those of you who know us know that we have a pet raccoon named Rush. You also know that our large back porch is sectioned in halves by a large wood frame wall with mesh wire that I built. Rush's side is not the side with the door to the backyard. In other words, he would have to go through 2 doors to get outside, which is very safe.
Well, anyway, I was taking out the trash tonight, and I walked into the porch from the outside to get a trash can on the porch. Lo and behold, Rush was climbing up the mesh wall, as he often does, only he was on the wrong side of the wall! Now I was amazed and wondered how in the world he had accomplished that trick, but as I am used to such miraculous puzzlements, and being the eternal pragmatist, my first concern was to move him back to the other side of the porch where he belonged. I reached up and scratched his back to say hello and he kind of growled. I though he was just a bit freaked out to be in the wrong place. So I told him he was a good boy and held up my hand for him to sniff. He did, and then growled again, jumped down, and ran out into the yard and climbed a tree.
I then found out that Rush was on the other side of the screen, under his covers fast asleep, and never even knew he had a visitor. Yes, that's right. I just fearlesly walked up and petted a wild raccoon.
How did I survive this long?