New Year's Surprise

I was describing at Knit Knite last Wedndesday how one year, in my youth, I realized that nothing changed at midnight 12/31 and so do not wait up for this artificial shift anymore.  As a child, I often stayed with my cousins on Long Island that day. Aunt Flora sent us out with kitchen utensils and pots banging the New Year in which I found a lot of fun.  I loved staying with them as they had a dog, Midnight, I could feed and love while there.

The local grands used to stay with us over New Year's eve but since they have grown to teen hood can now amuse themselves at home leaving Jim and I to be old fogies and go to bed at our usual times.  Jim about 10 and me about 11.

Ruth sent me a jacquie lawson card with fireworks at midnight.  Oh how I wished that might be but reluctantly admitted it was only virtual, maybe on July 4th, but not New Year's.    sigh.

I got really involved in the new beret I am working on and forgot the time. About 11:30 I went out to put the bunnies to bed and surprised a young raccoon.  Well I surprised me too.  I yelled at it to go away. I growled at it to go away.  It hesitantly climbed the post to the beam holding the deck roof, turned around and looked down at me.  I must admit he/she was very cute.  I let Basel out to be with me expecting him to bark but he was more curious than guard dog. hmmnnn  The buns were quite complacent, hanging out at the edge of their palace, even though I had expected them to be in hiding. None of the animals were acting like this was anything to worry about.  ODD

What to do.  I was carrying a glass of water to refill the buns dish so threw that up at the raccoon.  It shook off the water and tried to hide more in the rafter.  I yelled at it but did not get the results I was looking for.  Then I went to get Jim and ask him what to do, fearing he might shoot it as a solution.  It was full night so the coonie was not sick, just young and very tentative.  No growling or scare tactics on his part.

Last fall, Cole, our wonderful pet and house sitter, shot an enormous raccoon that had torn Gumdrop's nose by reaching into the palace.  I feared this might happen again even though this one is still smaller than the buns in size.

However Jim had already gone to bed and I didn't want to wake him since this wasn't an emergency, yet.

Meanwhile I gave the buns their night time string beans, refilled their oat/crunchy container, added night time hay and locked the palace as I always to to make them safe from marauders.  I do believe a raccoon qualifies as a marauder.  Coming to think that the raccoon would leave if Baz and I made ourselves scarce, we moved indoors, shut the dining room lights but not the porch one, and watched through the door to see what would happen. Eventually the raccoon did descend, walk around the railing for a while and slowly leave the porch.  whew

But even better were the unexpected fireworks sparkling up from somewhere on the far hill above the Danby Forest.

Wishing you all a happy and prosperous 2012.