I opened the front door at 10 pm, leash in hand, Max ready to go do the nightly duties and HELLO…….there they were!  Sitting in front of my door, looking longingly at the dumpster still in my driveway from the new roof, were two HUGE raccoons.  They turned around and looked at Max and me.  Max barked, I knocked on the window, yelled “BOO” to scare them, but they just sat there looking at us like we were two crazy things making a lot of noise!  What to do?  I turned the porch light on and off, thinking maybe that would scare them.  No such luck.  These guys were brave!  I had to think fast!  Max had to go!!!

Out came the super soaker and I filled it up!  I should probably just have it filled up and ready at the door!  I opened the window on the screen door and soaked those critters!  They ran away and I thought, “GREAT!!!  Now Max can go do his thing!” I waited a minute and then started out the door, when all of a sudden a little masked face appeared around the dumpster corner.  I stopped, pulled Max back in and all of a sudden the other face appeared around the wheel.

This was a challenge; these little dudes were challenging me.  And they were not going to beat me.  Not this time.  They have dumped my garbage, scampered all over my roof, watched me through my bathroom skylight and scared me to death; but they were NOT going to stop me from going out in my front yard with my dog.  This was Sue vs. the coon duo. I was not going to lose.

By this time, they had come out of hiding and were sitting in front of the door again.  Brazen fellows. I grabbed my super soaker and filled it up again.  Very slowly I walked to the door.  I pulled the soaker back and started spraying.  I soaked and soaked.  Probably looked like a mad woman.  I ran back to the kitchen and filled up again.  When I came back to the door, they were just coming back around the corner of the dumpster.  Again, I soaked and they ran away.  My super soaker was empty, but I had an idea….my next fill up I put some vinegar in it mixed with the water and sprayed again, till it wouldn’t spray anymore. In fact, I think I wore the thing out; it wouldn’t work when I filled it again.

The raccoons were gone, but for how long?  I hurried out with Max, he did his duties, we ran back in and waited.  They didn’t come back while we waited, so I am declaring the win for Team Sue!!

I’m sure we will do battle again, but for now, time to go to bed and tomorrow it will be time to buy a new super soaker!