I Have a Problem

And you will never guess what it is..

Granted I have many problems but this one needs to be addressed now.

Like right now.

Like yesterday.

Please excuse the low-quality picture above, you see it's rather difficult to take a picture and run backwards..

down stairs..

while squealing.

But I managed.  Thanks for worrying.

My problem revolves around those little masked critters in the picture.

No, they are not cats and the cats are not afraid of them.

Raccoons.

Or, if you're from around here "'coons", or supper..just kidding.

They are getting out of hand. 

I have put up with them eating the cat food for a while now, because they were considerate enough to eat it when I was not looking.

Sneaky-like.

Yesterday they CHASED me back into the office after I poured the cat food out.

So I shot 'em!! HA!!

No. I didn't.

I screamed like when I was little and the string fell off my June-bug's leg and I thought it was chasing me.

And I went out the other door..I like it better anyway.

I should have known this was coming when I was pulling into the dairy barn Monday morning and stopped because I could see something crossing the road in front of me.

It was 4 raccoons and one of them had a rolly bag.

"But Rachael, why don't you just stop feeding the cats?"

Because there are like a hundred of them and to this day I have NEVER seen a single mouse up here.

It would be a massacre.

They would pick me apart like a chicken leg.

I though we had nearly eradicated the 'coon infestation last year.

I had a guy from the co-op come and set out traps..he caught over 30 in a.Single.Month.

True story.

Then for about two months following that all he caught were cats.

Know how to make a cat really really mad without putting tape on its feet?

Let it sit in a 'coon trap.

Outside.

Overnight.

In the rain.

Their eyes turn red and they start speaking in tongues.

And the thought of NOT letting them out crosses your mind.

Shooting them is not an option...for me.

I seem to lack an important skill that would be required.

Aim.

Plus I don't like the idea of firing a gun inside my barn for very much the same reason you wouldn't want to fire one inside your house.

I would probably kill twelve cats and not a single raccoon.

Isn't that your reason as well?

So here I sit.

Knowing that in about 45 minutes I will need to go to the parlor and as soon as I walk out that door I will have sixteen raccoons waiting.

With doggie-bags.

What a dilemma.

Maybe I will just use the other door.