I hope this works.

I'm all settled in bed last night drifting off to sleep. I am pulled back awake by the sound of scratching. It appears to be coming from my bedroom.

I'm thinking the cats have become acclimated enough to use the box springs as a scratching pad. So, in turn, I called out their names. When the scratching didn't stop, I flipped on the light. No cats in my bedroom. The noise was coming from the attic.

My heart sank. I got a broom and banged on the ceiling in my closet. The scratching stopped but resumed after about 10 seconds. A second banging did nothing.

I tossed on a jacket, shorts and shoes and stepped outside. There, on the south end of the house was a juvenile raccoon trying to dig up the shingles surrounding the south air vent. After trying to hit him with rocks from the drive, I found a rubber ball and then a croquet ball. He fled but didn't leave the roof. In fact, for the croquet ball, he simply curled up on the north side of the house and pretended to sleep.

In the dark, I could not get the hose attached to the exterior spigot. I'm not sure a stream of water would deter him, actually. I hit on the idea of getting a 25 foot extension cord to toss over the roof. I would gather it up and then hurl a free end onto the roof in the direction of the raccoon.

He was defying my attempts to shake him loose by going to the other side of the roof where I couldn't see him and then, when I tossed the cord over from the east side of the house, he would amble over to the west and continue trying to dig a hole. I was getting so frustrated.

I don't know if I was supremely tired or angry or what but I hurled the cord onto the roof and the end with the prongs hit him squarely on the forehead. He looked at me quite startled and left the roof. It does not appear he came back after I collapsed.

This is not good. I can't do this every night. On the Internet, I came across a spray repellent. Mix one bottle of hot sauce with one teaspoon of dish detergent and mix with one gallon of water. spray the affected area. Raccoons don't like the smell of hot sauce. You can use a container of cayenne pepper, too. So, tonight, I need to run over to the grocery and get hot sauce or cayenne pepper, mix this up and then spray both of my vents. As we are not to get rain until Sunday, this could linger enough that he would find it several days running.

I hope this works. I would like uninterrupted sleep. Pilcher sat in a chair in the office and watched me climb onto the deck rails to toss the electrical cord. Meeha feld for the safety and comfort of the closet. After I came in, they accepted ear scratches and Meeha came to sleep with me.

I can feel the tired setting in now. It's nearly time to leave and I can go early. I don't have to win this war. I just have to win this battle. Go bother someone else.

Beverage: Water

Deb