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| Down comes the wall |
19 degrees/clear skies/calm winds
Pentoga Road
The pattern of cold, clear, nights, coupled with beautiful warm days, continues. These are the times we dreamed of a month to six weeks ago, those that hold the promise of the warm months ahead.
We North Woods humans aren't the only critters getting out and enjoying the beautiful weather. After arriving home from town yesterday morning, I headed to the barn where I heard a rustling in the back corner.
Sargie mentioned on Thursday that she heard a noise coming from "back there," but I poo-poo'd the thought and chalked it off to the paranoia she sometimes has for critters that make sounds in the dark.
I had to investigate. The table saw was moved along with an empty cabinet.
Boom!
Why look there, an angry adult raccoon staring daggers at me.
I've trapped many coons and sparred with that many more. They may look cute and cuddly, but under their Teddy bear surface lies the spawn of Satan, a reincarnated Tasmanian Devil.
I yelled at the masked bandit. Nothing.
Retrieving a short handled shovel that Grady likes to use, my intent was to nudge him when he took off. I hoped he'd run out the barn door.
No such luck.
He sprinted past me, bounced off a wall or two, then sprung up over the shop. Since I needed to get up above to tie in the new addition, there was nothing to do but climb the ladder overhead.
It was obvious the animal was hesitant to willingly give up his home.
For the next hour, the raccoon and I did a dance to a song that only we could hear. It took me awhile to position myself to where he had the option to exit the way he entered and run out the barn door.
Dang. It soon became obvious the mini monster wanted to stay and duke it out. So he wanted to play tough guy, eh?
The coon jabbed right, I blocked left. He stood on his hind legs and pawed the air. I swung and missed.
I could have been a batter for the Chicago Cubs of old.
The Thrilla in Manilla had nothing on us. My adept shovel skills kept the critter guessing. His growling and hissing made me uncomfortable.
Where was Hambone the Flash - Boy Super Hero when I needed him? All I wanted was for the raccoon to leave the barn.
The biggest problem was the lack of overhead room. I felt like a shovel-swinging Karate Kid trying to fight while sitting on the potty chair with his drawers down around his ankles. Every now and then I'd forget where I was and bang my head on a rafter.
The minutes passed.
I grew weary of the raccoon. He must have felt the same.
The Rumble in the Jungle was about to climax.
The critter made a mistake. Taking advantage, I landed a solid backhand pointed spade to the front of Coon's head. He stumbled from overhead and landed on the solid barn floor where he remained still.
I smelled victory. In my haste, I banged my head on an overhead rafter as I scrambled to climb down the ladder. With shovel in hand and stars between my ears, I approached the raccoon. He raised his head in a threatening manner when I took my final swing.
Ah, float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Now I can say I've been there/done that, all the while feeling like the Karate Kid sitting on a potty chair with his pants down around his ankles.
The rest of the day was fairly mundane. I purchased all the needed 2x4's to begin construction on the addition, but never actually began building.
Seems like no matter what I went to do, something else had to happen first. I began to remove the wall where the addition will be built, but first, had to take the shelves off the side in the shop. It all seemed to take forever.
It was late afternoon when the actual wall covering and insulation were removed.
Since the large double doors will be used again, I was careful to label anything connected with them, the trim, etc.
The biggest problem is that I'm taking an existing twelve foot wall and reducing it in size to only eight feet. Since the double doors and existing service door need to be in that wall, there'll be some advanced North Woods engineering happening later today.
Sargie pulled in early last night. I was happy to quit working, take a shower, and enjoy a very relaxing evening with her. In fact, it was so peaceful that I fell asleep in my recliner.
Sargie's off today. I'm going to continue work on the shop with the goal of being completely finished by week's end.
So far, so good, that is unless I run into another crazed raccoon that insists on calling my barn his home.
After all, a man's work is never done.
So are the tales from Pentoga Road...
PS - I never really wanted to play for the Chicago Cubs of old anyway. Who cares if I swung and missed?
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