Over the past couple weeks our lives have been all about installing a privacy fence around our back yard. After removing the chain link fence, tearing down the brick and stone burning pit, digging holes, setting posts in concrete, cutting and hanging cross rails, hanging pickets (over 500), and finally building and hanging 3 gates… the fence is finally done. It was a huge job and a lot of hard work. We got some special help from a few friends and family member which is really what made it all possible. So, I just wanted to say thanks to Kalab, Chip, Nanny & Papa, and my Dad. And a special thanks has to go to my wife for all the help and support she gave me. If anything, the busting up and removal of the giant slab of concrete, that was under the fire pit, was just simply amazing. That women has some drive.

I was recently out in the yard working when I heard a strange crying sound. I followed the sound out to the street to find a very young raccoon baby sitting under a tree, looking very lost. I watched it for awhile and decided that it was either too young to walk or injured from a fall out of the tree above. I didn’t feel leaving the baby alone by the sidewalk was a good idea for the fear that one of the children in the neighborhood might come across it and end up getting hurt by it or the returning mother. So, I called Elgin animal control to see if they might come and get it. They stopped by and told me they will not pick up animals unless they have attacked or threatened someone. I also called the county animal control and they said to just leave it by the tree and the mother would come down and get it after the sun started going down. Now I was stuck guarding this little guy until the mother returned or some other solution came up.

Well to make a long story short, we ended up putting it in a cardboard box and bringing it into our house. That night we returned it to the tree, but the mother never came, so the next morning Mahra started calling around to find a rescue place that would take the animal. This is were the story gets a little crazy. We came to find out that raccoons can carry a ringworm that can be deadly to humans. Especially children. Needless to say, we freaked out about having a young son and a baby raccoon in the same house. Well, after talking to a lot of people and doing a LOT of internet research we were assured that the risk was so low that we did not need to worry too much. Mahra cleaned, with bleach water, everywhere the box has been sat down and we through out the towels that were in the box with it. Also, the same day she found a place to take the raccoon and everything went back to normal.

I guess if we learned anything from this it would be to be very cautious about bringing wild animals into your home. No matter how much you are trying to help.