those other creatures revisiting…

I got back from work tonight and parked in the driveway. I started to put on the car cover, like I normally do every night, but was getting annoyed by the wind, which was enough to cause the cover to flap around a little. I wanted to get the thing on and get inside as quickly as possible – with the wind chill it was hovering just above zero.

As I negotiating the car cover, I heard a russle to my right, just near the bushes. I glanced over at the source of the noise. I made out a shape furry and somewhat plump. The thing made no sound,but under the dim light, I could tell it was looking at me.

“Ah, it’s that stray cat that’s been roaming around here,” I thought. So I just went about my business, expecting the cat to be frightened and just go away. Then I realized the cat looked much bigger than a cat. And it was walking towards me. Waddling more like.

I had just pulled the car cover over the edge of the rear bumper, so my hand was close to the ground. By the time it registered that the cat was not a cat it was only inches away from my hand and sniffing the air around it. Oh crap, raccoon.

My first instinct was to kick at it, to shoo it away, but I resisted the urge, thinking it was a bad idea. So manly man that I am, I took a hop backwards, looking at the thing. My sudden movement, must have frightened it, because it looked startled and quickly hightailed it back into the bushes.

I just stood there for a few seconds. The car cover looked secure from where I stood, so I grabbed my bag and went inside.

I wonder if it was the same raccoon that bumped into the glass door those months ago.