A couple of years ago, my dad gave me the wonderful suggestion of sprinkling cayenne pepper on top of my trash to see if that would keep old "Ricky" away. Worked like a charm, dear friend and devoted reader, worked like a charm!
Until enough time passed and Ricky forgot that my trash is too spicy for his liking. Then, he came back.
The other night it was pouring rain and my Michael and I were downstairs watching TV. We heard all these loud thumps and rattles. He said, "What is that?" I calmly responded, "I think it's the raccoon again." He didn't think it could be so I went up to the dining room to investigate.
At first, I didn't see any sign of Ricky but after a minute, his little masked face popped up over the side of my trashcan. He was in there! I ran to grab my camera and tried to get some shots through the sliding glass door. I never did catch a good one of his face, but you can definitely tell that he is a critter on my trash and on my deck.
Now, where's the chicken, you might ask? Well, that was me, of course. I knew if I opened my door I could get a good photo of our masked visitor, but I didn't have the guts to slide open the glass. I was afraid that Ricky would try to attack me or come into my house! So you have to deal with horribly dark photos taken through wet glass.
That's it, Ricky, keep on walking away. I'm sorry, but you just can't join our family. You might be carrying unmentionable diseases. You make messes wherever you go. Your name doesn't start with the right letter. It's just not a good fit.
Time to go buy more cayenne pepper.
17 comments:
Heck no you're not going to open that door, those things are rabid. I've actually held baby raccoons before, did you know there are blonde ones? Well there are. But the wild ones are rabid I tell you, rabid.
Wise woman, keeping that glass between you and the critter. He could be easily renamed Mickey, though.
Don't go to Walmart for cayenne pepper. Went there yesterday to buy some more to make salsa, yeah they were out.
yes, leave the raccoons outside. i don't blame you for your chickenness. and the cayenne pepper is great! i'll have to tell my mom, who has trouble with a whole raccoon family.
Nothing but masked rodents. Even Ricky the Racoon was I tell you.
Aww, aren't raccoons cute... and scary? They love to eat the pears off of our pear tree. My husband is very cute and protective when we surprise one feasting in our yard. So far they stay away from the trash!
I've heard that baby powder helps keep them away - something about them not liking to get the powder on their hands. I don't know if it works, but if you do that with the cayenne pepper, you may be rid of him for good.
Not "chicken," you are smart! You don't want a crazy wild critter in your house. I'll always remember the day a squirrel got in our house when I was a kid. It was nuts! I would definitely not want to be the one responsible for removing a live, wild animal from my house.
You are so mean. Not welcoming Ricky because of his name. Just name him Micky and he'll fit perfectly in your family.
When I was at my dad's place I heard noises at 2 am on his deck and went outside on the deck to scare away what I thought was a cat, I like you turned and ran in the house when the "cat" turned around and showed me her little masked face. (too many deceases to risk getting) This one was not alone though!! She had 5 babies!! yup 5, all on a hunting spree, their prey? House hold garbage. :-)
I don't think you're a chicken at all!! And wow you are ingenious with the cayenne - I wish we knew about that when we lived in MD! Although we did finally find a way to keep them out with metal garbage cans and bungie cords to keep the lids on tight. Hope Ricky stays away!!
You have raccoons we have jack rabbits, lots of them. They look cute from far away but as I tell my kids they are not cute up close especially with all those diseases they carry.
How fun, I love you Sechrist girls and the way you guys write and your funny sense of humors, your posts always make me smile and they are so fun to read!!
Cute. The only visitors I have had at my house are the large black fuzzy caterpillars and I live out in the middle of no where. However I am told that these little visitors are foretelling a wicked winter.
Aw, someone already said my Micky comment! Argh.
I would be a chicken too. Yikes! Time for more cayenne pepper!
Oh, he's cute! My girls would be clamoring to keep it, since it looks somewhat like a cat. Knowing them, they'd put food outside their window wells to encourage it to come by. Hey, you could look at this way: if it eats the food from your trash, you could consider yourself exempt from fast offerings, since you had already donated to one of the needy of God's creatures. I'm excellent at finding silver linings.
Gee, I wonder where oh where your sweet Maia gets her fright genes from? :) Fun to check your blog after ages of being internet-less.
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