11
An Unwelcome House Guest
This week we (99% Dawn – 1% Me) started potty training the twins. A task which has gone stunningly well and one we thought would be tougher than treading quicksand. Somehow though, this turned out to be the least of our problems. If you have not been following along on Twitter, here’s the skinny.
Some sort of super mutant raccoon decided to burrow into the roof. I swear this shit only happens to me. pic.twitter.com/nDmIaVkm8T
— Justin Grimm (@JustinGrimm) April 9, 2014
Raccoon update: Traps have been set outside the hole, but now it's in the attic. It's clawing up the ceiling drywall in the bedroom
— Justin Grimm (@JustinGrimm) April 9, 2014
Didn't see it. It's mutant strength and invisibility powers are frightening. Going up now with a bowl of ammonia and bleach. Flush it out.
— Justin Grimm (@JustinGrimm) April 10, 2014
Got it! A sweet tooth (trail of marshmallows) lead to imprisonment. pic.twitter.com/SK4ELTeiu0
— Justin Grimm (@JustinGrimm) April 10, 2014
@shymirrors control guy said it was pregnant looking to nest. He could tell from the nipples it hadn't given birth yet (imagine my face)
— Justin Grimm (@JustinGrimm) April 10, 2014
Raccoon has been transported 30 miles away thanks to animal control. Now the insurance claim process begins. Which may be more maddening.
— Justin Grimm (@JustinGrimm) April 10, 2014
Twitter is my coping mechanism.
This has been a real eye-opening experience for our family. I never knew raccoons were capable of such determination. I could understand if there was a preexisting hole in the roof or entry into the attic. The way this animal tore back the flashing and then chewed/clawed through the shingles and plywood is baffling.
When it was caught in the trap, I moved it from our upper-deck to the ground. It was completely docile. I expected it to hiss and cry and slash at me, but it was quite the opposite. In fact, I found it pretty adorable. Alas, now becomes the battle with insurance to see what they will cover. Because if the first estimate to fix the damages is any indication we won’t be able to fix the damages out-of-pocket.