I just got home from an errand and opened the sliding glass door to the
patio to cool off the house (75 deg. inside, 71 outside) only to see SIX
raccoons in or around the grape vine on the overhead trellis. The ones
on the ground scampered all of about 6 feet away, waiting for me to
leave so they could continue to eat the grapes, still green but very
plentiful this year.

I had hoped to make grape juice this year but they always beat me to it,
about a week before the grapes begin to show any sign of ripening. The
raccoons live in our storm sewers and have become way too aggressive
over the years.

Made a second batch of zucchini bread today for the freezer. The garden
is very marginal this year. The flowers are doing very well, as are
the weeds, due to all the rain. Moderate temperatures have been very
comfortable, but they don't do much for the tomatoes.

gloria p

"Gloria P" > wrote in message
...
>
snip
The garden
> is very marginal this year. The flowers are doing very well, as are the
> weeds, due to all the rain. Moderate temperatures have been very
> comfortable, but they don't do much for the tomatoes.
>
> gloria p
Ditto, here. My winter squash plants didn't begin to grow beyond 3 inches
high until the 2nd week in July, so we can scratch that crop. I'm getting a
couple tomatoes once a week. The flowers and perennials are wonderful this
year and first time in memory that we have had green grass through the
summer.

Janet

On 2009-08-20, Gloria P > wrote:

> raccoons live in our storm sewers and have become way too aggressive
> over the years.

A twelve gauge shotgun works wonders with the devils. If that option
might land you in the hoosegow, call animal control and make them earn
their keep. If neither option is available, rat poison can be just
the ticket. (buy in another town)

nb

"Gloria P" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> I just got home from an errand and opened the sliding glass door to the
> patio to cool off the house (75 deg. inside, 71 outside) only to see SIX
> raccoons in or around the grape vine on the overhead trellis. The ones on
> the ground scampered all of about 6 feet away, waiting for me to leave so
> they could continue to eat the grapes, still green but very plentiful this
> year.
>
> I had hoped to make grape juice this year but they always beat me to it,
> about a week before the grapes begin to show any sign of ripening. The
> raccoons live in our storm sewers and have become way too aggressive over
> the years.
>
> Made a second batch of zucchini bread today for the freezer. The garden
> is very marginal this year. The flowers are doing very well, as are the
> weeds, due to all the rain. Moderate temperatures have been very
> comfortable, but they don't do much for the tomatoes.
>
> gloria p

Our neighbor across the street has grapes, and the raccoons love them. Last
year we had raccoons on the roof in the fall. They would get up there and
hang out all night!! Disgusting, as they poop up on the roof. This year
the fox is hanging out here, and actually gets up on our roof. She can see
the whole neighborhood and lays in the sun on the roof. At least with her
here, the raccoons will stay away!

The cool temps and rain have made for a pretty cheap summer. Not much A/C
and the water bill has never been this low. Not good for the veggies. The
tomatoes are pitiful.

later,
DP

On Aug 20, 12:45*pm, "Dale P" > wrote:
> "Gloria P" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
>
>
>
>
> > I just got home from an errand and opened the sliding glass door to the
> > patio to cool off the house (75 deg. inside, 71 outside) only to see SIX
> > raccoons in or around the grape vine on the overhead trellis. *The ones on
> > the ground scampered all of about 6 feet away, waiting for me to leave so
> > they could continue to eat the grapes, still green but very plentiful this
> > year.
>
> > I had hoped to make grape juice this year but they always beat me to it,
> > about a week before the grapes begin to show any *sign of ripening. *The
> > raccoons live in our storm sewers and have become way too aggressive over
> > the years.
>
> > Made a second batch of zucchini bread today for the freezer. *The garden
> > is very marginal this year. *The *flowers are doing very well, as are the
> > weeds, due to all the rain. *Moderate temperatures have been very
> > comfortable, but they don't do much for the tomatoes.
>
> > gloria p
>
> Our neighbor across the street has grapes, and the raccoons love them. *Last
> year we had raccoons on the roof in the fall. *They would get up there and
> hang out all night!! *Disgusting, as they poop up on the roof. *This year
> the fox is hanging out here, and actually gets up on our roof. *She can see
> the whole neighborhood and lays in the sun on the roof. *At least with her
> here, the raccoons will stay away!
>
> The cool temps and rain have made for a pretty cheap summer. *Not much A/C
> and the water bill has never been this low. *Not good for the veggies. *The
> tomatoes are pitiful.
>
> later,
> DP

I was going to suggest a dog to Gloria but a fox is much classier.
How do I get one?

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

"John Kane" > wrote in message
...
On Aug 20, 12:45 pm, "Dale P" > wrote:
> "Gloria P" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
>
>
>
>
> > I just got home from an errand and opened the sliding glass door to the
> > patio to cool off the house (75 deg. inside, 71 outside) only to see SIX
> > raccoons in or around the grape vine on the overhead trellis. The ones
> > on
> > the ground scampered all of about 6 feet away, waiting for me to leave
> > so
> > they could continue to eat the grapes, still green but very plentiful
> > this
> > year.
>
> > I had hoped to make grape juice this year but they always beat me to it,
> > about a week before the grapes begin to show any sign of ripening. The
> > raccoons live in our storm sewers and have become way too aggressive
> > over
> > the years.
>
> > Made a second batch of zucchini bread today for the freezer. The garden
> > is very marginal this year. The flowers are doing very well, as are the
> > weeds, due to all the rain. Moderate temperatures have been very
> > comfortable, but they don't do much for the tomatoes.
>
> > gloria p
>
> Our neighbor across the street has grapes, and the raccoons love them.
> Last
> year we had raccoons on the roof in the fall. They would get up there and
> hang out all night!! Disgusting, as they poop up on the roof. This year
> the fox is hanging out here, and actually gets up on our roof. She can see
> the whole neighborhood and lays in the sun on the roof. At least with her
> here, the raccoons will stay away!
>
> The cool temps and rain have made for a pretty cheap summer. Not much A/C
> and the water bill has never been this low. Not good for the veggies. The
> tomatoes are pitiful.
>
> later,
> DP

I was going to suggest a dog to Gloria but a fox is much classier.
How do I get one?

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

You want red or grey? Free plus s&h. Or a coyote or 2?
Janet

Janet Bostwick wrote:
> "John Kane" > wrote in message

>
> I was going to suggest a dog to Gloria but a fox is much classier.
> How do I get one?
>
> John Kane, Kingston ON Canada
>
> You want red or grey? Free plus s&h. Or a coyote or 2?
> Janet
>
>


We have at least four red foxes in the neighborhood and a coyote but
I've never heard that they have taken on the raccoons. There's an old
quite scruffy one and three younger members of the family who
occasionally come into our back yard and chase one another around and
round the semi-circle of yews, like kittens. I used to put out food for
them until I disovered half the neighborhood feeds them....

Speaking of which, there have been at least four or five bear attacks
in the foothills and one in Aspen the past week. In a couple of
instances, they broke into houses. Also a woman was mauled and killed
by a bear but she was one of those animal lovers who hand-fed them quite
often. Guess they got tired of waiting one day.

People are being warned not to leave any food out at all (even empty
soda cans), no bird feeders, no overflowing dumpsters,and to take in BBQ
grills into the garage if possible. The ranger said bears can smell
food up to three miles away and they are currently gorging on food
preparing for winter.

Not nice to fool with Mother Nature....

gloria p

In article >,
Gloria P > wrote:

> I just got home from an errand and opened the sliding glass door to the
> patio to cool off the house (75 deg. inside, 71 outside) only to see SIX
> raccoons in or around the grape vine on the overhead trellis. The ones
> on the ground scampered all of about 6 feet away, waiting for me to
> leave so they could continue to eat the grapes, still green but very
> plentiful this year.
>
> I had hoped to make grape juice this year but they always beat me to it,
> about a week before the grapes begin to show any sign of ripening. The
> raccoons live in our storm sewers and have become way too aggressive
> over the years.
>
> Made a second batch of zucchini bread today for the freezer. The garden
> is very marginal this year. The flowers are doing very well, as are
> the weeds, due to all the rain. Moderate temperatures have been very
> comfortable, but they don't do much for the tomatoes.
>
> gloria p

You need a large dog...
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein


Subscribe:

On Aug 20, 1:39*pm, "Janet Bostwick" > wrote:
> "John Kane" > wrote in message
>
> ...
> On Aug 20, 12:45 pm, "Dale P" > wrote:
>
>
>
> > "Gloria P" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> > > I just got home from an errand and opened the sliding glass door to the
> > > patio to cool off the house (75 deg. inside, 71 outside) only to see SIX
> > > raccoons in or around the grape vine on the overhead trellis. The ones
> > > on
> > > the ground scampered all of about 6 feet away, waiting for me to leave
> > > so
> > > they could continue to eat the grapes, still green but very plentiful
> > > this
> > > year.
>
> > > I had hoped to make grape juice this year but they always beat me to it,
> > > about a week before the grapes begin to show any sign of ripening. The
> > > raccoons live in our storm sewers and have become way too aggressive
> > > over
> > > the years.
>
> > > Made a second batch of zucchini bread today for the freezer. The garden
> > > is very marginal this year. The flowers are doing very well, as are the
> > > weeds, due to all the rain. Moderate temperatures have been very
> > > comfortable, but they don't do much for the tomatoes.
>
> > > gloria p
>
> > Our neighbor across the street has grapes, and the raccoons love them.
> > Last
> > year we had raccoons on the roof in the fall. They would get up there and
> > hang out all night!! Disgusting, as they poop up on the roof. This year
> > the fox is hanging out here, and actually gets up on our roof. She can see
> > the whole neighborhood and lays in the sun on the roof. At least with her
> > here, the raccoons will stay away!
>
> > The cool temps and rain have made for a pretty cheap summer. Not much A/C
> > and the water bill has never been this low. Not good for the veggies. The
> > tomatoes are pitiful.
>
> > later,
> > DP
>
> I was going to suggest a dog to Gloria but a fox is much classier.
> How do I get one?
>
> John Kane, Kingston ON Canada
>
> You want red or grey? *Free plus s&h. *Or a coyote or 2?
> Janet

Red sounds nice. It is housebroken I assume?
I'll pass on the coyote, thanks.

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

"John Kane" > wrote in message
...
On Aug 20, 1:39 pm, "Janet Bostwick" > wrote:
snip
>
> You want red or grey? Free plus s&h. Or a coyote or 2?
> Janet

Red sounds nice. It is housebroken I assume?
I'll pass on the coyote, thanks.

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

Sorry, not housebroken
Janet

Omelet wrote:
> In article >,
> Gloria P > wrote:
>
>> I just got home from an errand and opened the sliding glass door to the
>> patio to cool off the house (75 deg. inside, 71 outside) only to see SIX
>> raccoons in or around the grape vine on the overhead trellis.

>
> You need a large dog...


No thanks. I'm not a dog person. They are too needy and If I want to
expend all that energy and emotion, I want it to be a human being. ;-)

Three years ago I called Animal Control because there had been a big old
raccoon in the back corner of the yard for 24 hours, twitching once in a
while. Turns out it had distemper, communicable to dogs.

gloria p

Gloria wrote:

> Speaking of which, there have been at least four or five bear attacks in
> the foothills and one in Aspen the past week. In a couple of instances,
> they broke into houses.

"You skin this one while I go get another!"

Bob

Gloria P wrote:

>
>
> I just got home from an errand and opened the sliding glass door to the
> patio to cool off the house (75 deg. inside, 71 outside) only to see SIX
> raccoons in or around the grape vine on the overhead trellis. The ones
> on the ground scampered all of about 6 feet away, waiting for me to
> leave so they could continue to eat the grapes, still green but very
> plentiful this year.
>
> I had hoped to make grape juice this year but they always beat me to it,
> about a week before the grapes begin to show any sign of ripening. The
> raccoons live in our storm sewers and have become way too aggressive
> over the years.
>
> Made a second batch of zucchini bread today for the freezer. The garden
> is very marginal this year. The flowers are doing very well, as are
> the weeds, due to all the rain. Moderate temperatures have been very
> comfortable, but they don't do much for the tomatoes.

Aside from the rabbits, which my JRT regards as a gourmet treat, the
worst pest I've faced this season is my daughter's puppy, Floyd.

Floyd is an enormous border collie X shepherdy-ish mix who was rescued
off the streets in Warrenton. He's about 8 months old currently.
Because he developed pano (basically, acute growing pains), he's been
placed on a restricted diet to control his weight gain and minimize the
stress on developing bones and joints.

He's so extremely goofy that it's impossible not to like him. He
prefers to take the sliding board down off the deck rather than use the
stairs. He allows a 4 pound kitten to boss him around. When he's
excited, his ears stand up, but tilt towards each other so they cross in
the middle, while his eyes appear to be staring off in two different
directions. His field of vision must be incredibly broad. He has no
concept of his own size, or where his body happens to be in space at any
given time. He's constantly crashing into things, knocking stuff over,
cracking his head while turning around... His call name has become
'Boogle'.

However, he has decided to supplement his diet with tomatoes from the
garden. It wouldn't really be a problem - we've got plenty - except
that he has to jump the fence to get in there, and then he tramples the
plants. Looks like a herd of elephants has passed through. And
tomatoes really don't agree with him. To put it bluntly, after a tomato
bender, his farts could peel paint.

It's not worth messing with this year, but I've told my husband, next
year that fence has to be higher.

Kathleen > wrote in
:


> Because he developed pano (basically, acute growing pains), he's been
> placed on a restricted diet to control his weight gain and minimize
> the stress on developing bones and joints.
>
> He's so extremely goofy that it's impossible not to like him. He
> prefers to take the sliding board down off the deck rather than use
> the stairs. He allows a 4 pound kitten to boss him around. When he's
> excited, his ears stand up, but tilt towards each other so they cross
> in the middle, while his eyes appear to be staring off in two
> different directions. His field of vision must be incredibly broad.
> He has no concept of his own size, or where his body happens to be in
> space at any given time. He's constantly crashing into things,
> knocking stuff over, cracking his head while turning around... His
> call name has become 'Boogle'.
>



Sounds like Twitilleger. Fron now on, he shall be known as 'Boogle Bob'.

On Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:32:33 -0600, Gloria P wrote:

> I just got home from an errand and opened the sliding glass door to the
> patio to cool off the house (75 deg. inside, 71 outside) only to see SIX
> raccoons in or around the grape vine on the overhead trellis. The ones
> on the ground scampered all of about 6 feet away, waiting for me to
> leave so they could continue to eat the grapes, still green but very
> plentiful this year. [...]

In many places, coons are the chief reservoir of rabies -- and
going out in daylight is likely to mean they have it; they're normally
nocturnal.

--
Beartooth Staffwright, Neo-Redneck Not Quite Clueless Power User
What do they know of country, who only country know?

BeartoothGiG wrote:
> On Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:32:33 -0600, Gloria P wrote:
>
snip

>
> In many places, coons are the chief reservoir of rabies -- and
> going out in daylight is likely to mean they have it; they're normally
> nocturnal.
>
> --
> Beartooth Staffwright,
I've read that book and specific regulations to our raccoons. They don't
buy it as they said they never got to vote on the daylight/nighttime thingy.
It's only the holligan raccoons that are out roughhousing at night.
Janet

"Gloria P" > wrote in message
...
> Janet Bostwick wrote:
> We have at least four red foxes in the neighborhood and a coyote but I've
> never heard that they have taken on the raccoons. There's an old quite
> scruffy one and three younger members of the family who occasionally come
> into our back yard and chase one another around and round the semi-circle
> of yews, like kittens. I used to put out food for them until I disovered
> half the neighborhood feeds them....
>
> Speaking of which, there have been at least four or five bear attacks
> in the foothills and one in Aspen the past week. In a couple of
> instances, they broke into houses. Also a woman was mauled and killed by
> a bear but she was one of those animal lovers who hand-fed them quite
> often. Guess they got tired of waiting one day.
>
> People are being warned not to leave any food out at all (even empty soda
> cans), no bird feeders, no overflowing dumpsters,and to take in BBQ
> grills into the garage if possible. The ranger said bears can smell food
> up to three miles away and they are currently gorging on food preparing
> for winter.
>
> Not nice to fool with Mother Nature....
>
> gloria p


I don't know that the fox and raccoon take each other on, just steer clear
of each other. I have actually not seen a raccoon this year, and that suits
me fine. Many years ago we were leaving Pagliacci's restaurant (still one
of my favorites) and there was a hugely fat raccoon leaving the dumpster
from the bar across the street. He went down the storm sewer, but could
hardly fit. He was raiding restaurant dumpster for left over food.

The bear incidents are rather common this year. The lady who was feeding
them made a huge mistake by starting that. The are huge wild animals.

Later,

Dale

BeartoothGiG wrote:
> On Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:32:33 -0600, Gloria P wrote:
>
>> I just got home from an errand and opened the sliding glass door to the
>> patio to cool off the house (75 deg. inside, 71 outside) only to see SIX
>> raccoons in or around the grape vine on the overhead trellis. The ones
>> on the ground scampered all of about 6 feet away, waiting for me to
>> leave so they could continue to eat the grapes, still green but very
>> plentiful this year. [...]
>
> In many places, coons are the chief reservoir of rabies -- and
> going out in daylight is likely to mean they have it; they're normally
> nocturnal.
>


It was dusk, not daylight. They come at dusk or later every year.
This year there are more of them than usual.

In our area they are more likely to harbor canine distemper.

gloria p

In article >,
Gloria P > wrote:

> It was dusk, not daylight. They come at dusk or later every year.
> This year there are more of them than usual.

They're crepuscular for anyone who didn't know or currently cares. So
are Mountain Lions. I just learned the word a year or two ago, but it's
a *big* word, so I endeavored to remembered it.

leo

Peter wrote about Boogle (who sounds like prime video material):

>> He's so extremely goofy that it's impossible not to like him. He
>> prefers to take the sliding board down off the deck rather than use
>> the stairs. He allows a 4 pound kitten to boss him around. When he's
>> excited, his ears stand up, but tilt towards each other so they cross
>> in the middle, while his eyes appear to be staring off in two
>> different directions. His field of vision must be incredibly broad.
>> He has no concept of his own size, or where his body happens to be in
>> space at any given time. He's constantly crashing into things,
>> knocking stuff over, cracking his head while turning around... His
>> call name has become 'Boogle'.
>>
>
> Sounds like Twitilleger. Fron now on, he shall be known as 'Boogle Bob'.

Okay, I guess we need a nickname for Peter. What would be the best name for
a parasitic obsessive-chronic masturbator?

Bob

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> Peter wrote about Boogle (who sounds like prime video material):
>
>>> He's so extremely goofy that it's impossible not to like him. He
>>> prefers to take the sliding board down off the deck rather than use
>>> the stairs. He allows a 4 pound kitten to boss him around. When he's
>>> excited, his ears stand up, but tilt towards each other so they cross
>>> in the middle, while his eyes appear to be staring off in two
>>> different directions. His field of vision must be incredibly broad.
>>> He has no concept of his own size, or where his body happens to be in
>>> space at any given time. He's constantly crashing into things,
>>> knocking stuff over, cracking his head while turning around... His
>>> call name has become 'Boogle'.
>>>
>>
>> Sounds like Twitilleger. Fron now on, he shall be known as 'Boogle Bob'.
>
> Okay, I guess we need a nickname for Peter. What would be the best name for
> a parasitic obsessive-chronic masturbator?
>
> Bob
Bob apparently

--
"

atec 7 7 <"atec > wrote in
:

> Bob Terwilliger wrote:
>> Peter wrote about Boogle (who sounds like prime video material):
>>
>>>> He's so extremely goofy that it's impossible not to like him. He
>>>> prefers to take the sliding board down off the deck rather than use
>>>> the stairs. He allows a 4 pound kitten to boss him around. When
>>>> he's excited, his ears stand up, but tilt towards each other so
>>>> they cross in the middle, while his eyes appear to be staring off
>>>> in two different directions. His field of vision must be
>>>> incredibly broad. He has no concept of his own size, or where his
>>>> body happens to be in space at any given time. He's constantly
>>>> crashing into things, knocking stuff over, cracking his head while
>>>> turning around... His call name has become 'Boogle'.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Sounds like Twitilleger. Fron now on, he shall be known as 'Boogle
>>> Bob'.
>>
>> Okay, I guess we need a nickname for Peter. What would be the best
>> name for a parasitic obsessive-chronic masturbator?
>>
>> Bob
> Bob apparently
>



LOL!!! Looks like 'Boogle Bob' has still got his man-boobs in a twist :-)

Kathleen wrote:

> Gloria P wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> I just got home from an errand and opened the sliding glass door to
>> the patio to cool off the house (75 deg. inside, 71 outside) only to
>> see SIX raccoons in or around the grape vine on the overhead trellis.
>> The ones on the ground scampered all of about 6 feet away, waiting for
>> me to leave so they could continue to eat the grapes, still green but
>> very plentiful this year.
>>
>> I had hoped to make grape juice this year but they always beat me to
>> it, about a week before the grapes begin to show any sign of
>> ripening. The raccoons live in our storm sewers and have become way
>> too aggressive over the years.
>>
>> Made a second batch of zucchini bread today for the freezer. The
>> garden is very marginal this year. The flowers are doing very well,
>> as are the weeds, due to all the rain. Moderate temperatures have
>> been very comfortable, but they don't do much for the tomatoes.
>
>
> Aside from the rabbits, which my JRT regards as a gourmet treat, the
> worst pest I've faced this season is my daughter's puppy, Floyd.
>
> Floyd is an enormous border collie X shepherdy-ish mix who was rescued
> off the streets in Warrenton. He's about 8 months old currently.
> Because he developed pano (basically, acute growing pains), he's been
> placed on a restricted diet to control his weight gain and minimize the
> stress on developing bones and joints.
>
> He's so extremely goofy that it's impossible not to like him. He
> prefers to take the sliding board down off the deck rather than use the
> stairs. He allows a 4 pound kitten to boss him around. When he's
> excited, his ears stand up, but tilt towards each other so they cross in
> the middle, while his eyes appear to be staring off in two different
> directions. His field of vision must be incredibly broad. He has no
> concept of his own size, or where his body happens to be in space at any
> given time. He's constantly crashing into things, knocking stuff over,
> cracking his head while turning around... His call name has become
> 'Boogle'.
>
> However, he has decided to supplement his diet with tomatoes from the
> garden. It wouldn't really be a problem - we've got plenty - except
> that he has to jump the fence to get in there, and then he tramples the
> plants. Looks like a herd of elephants has passed through. And
> tomatoes really don't agree with him. To put it bluntly, after a tomato
> bender, his farts could peel paint.
>
> It's not worth messing with this year, but I've told my husband, next
> year that fence has to be higher.
>

Boogle:

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=347bl9e&s=5
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=xblq3d&s=5

On Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:25:19 -0500, BeartoothGiG wrote:

> On Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:32:33 -0600, Gloria P wrote:
>
>> I just got home from an errand and opened the sliding glass door to the
>> patio to cool off the house (75 deg. inside, 71 outside) only to see SIX
>> raccoons in or around the grape vine on the overhead trellis. The ones
>> on the ground scampered all of about 6 feet away, waiting for me to
>> leave so they could continue to eat the grapes, still green but very
>> plentiful this year. [...]
>
> In many places, coons are the chief reservoir of rabies -- and
> going out in daylight is likely to mean they have it; they're normally
> nocturnal.

at one point my parents had raccoons coming into their attic. my father
had the following conversation with a pest-control guy:

p.c. guy: the thing is, you have to watch them to see where they're going
in and out.

dad: how am i gonna watch them? they're nocturnal.

p.c. guy: i know they're not. but you gotta watch 'em anyway.

your pal,
blake

On Aug 20, 9:55*am, John Kane > wrote:
[snip]
> I was going to suggest a dog to Gloria but a fox is much classier.
> How do I get one?

Unless she wants to supplement her local vet's trip to the Bahamas, a
dog, no matter how big, is no match for a coon, let alone six.

The Ranger