September 14

I had a harrowing experience this morning! Maybe that should be a harrowing hair raising experience. I left the house at 5:30 a.m. for my three trips around the horn. At that time is still very dark so I carry a flashlight to light my way.

On my first round, as I came down Memory Lane, I directed the light to four trash cans next to the road. I noticed that the last one had the lid propped open about 4 inches. Just as I got even with it the dang thing exploded with a terrible crashing noise accompanied by some furious screams and growls. A brown thing appeared in the gap only to disappear then reappear. That was the thing making all the noise. I wasn't about to get close enough to help him out either. After about four attempts he escaped and thankfully ran down the road away from me.

It was that damn Raccoon! Probably the same one that I've saved more than 12 times which leads me to believe he isn't a thankful kind of animal.

I must tell you that the hair on the back of my neck stood up so suddenly and with so much ferocity that I'm sure several broke off. Even now the skin in that area is tender to the touch. Man, I thought I had met my waterloo! My next thought was if a loo was near I'm sure I could water. Some things that raise my hackles sometimes also curl my toes. This experience did and I was forced to limp along for quit a distance before the uncurling began.
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"No man is sane who does not know how to be insane on proper occasions." - Henry Ward Beecher