Sunday, July 16, 2006

799 Dehumidifier; Raccoons

Sunday, July 16, 2006

I filled the minivan's gas tank (hoping that if there is a fuel line problem, nice new clean gas might help) and drove it across the river to buy a new dehumidifier. I'm happy to report it was very well behaved. After I install the new dehumidifier, I think I'll take the van for a nice long ride.

The old dehumidifier stopped working about a month ago, and right after it quit I accidentally dropped a wrench on it, and was amazed when it immediately started up again. A few days ago it quit again. I beat it with a wrench some more, but nothing happened. I'm annoyed because I threw out two ancient dead dehumidifiers that were taking up room in the basement back when I had the dumpsters here. Now I've got another. I wish it had died sooner.

Coming back from the store I saw two dead raccoons alongside the road. I noticed the large one on the left first, then I saw the small one on the right. Sad. I guess one of them got hit first and then the other, going back and forth in distress, got hit. One adult animal wouldn't bother me so much, but I hate to see what looks like a mother and baby.

On the other hand, I've been perversely happy to see so many raccoons dead on the road this summer. We had a very bad outbreak of rabies in the early and mid 90s. It hit the raccoons especially badly, almost wiped them out. I'm happy to see them back in large enough numbers to become a silent testament on the roadsides again. I like raccoons. When I first moved to this area, I had a pack who showed up at the back door every evening, asking if I happened to have any yummy garbage, particularly stale or leftover cat food.

They can make a royal mess with your garbage cans, but they're smart and funny.

(The link above says they are solitary - but it's my experience that when there's a promising garbage can, or a friendly back door, they will cooperate in a pack. I've seen them boost each other up into garbage cans.)

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