RAMBO RACCOON.....VS NICKO

 THIS IS A RERUN OF A SERIES OF BLOGS WITH MY BATTLE AGAINST A RACCOON. MIGHT ME MY BEST EFFORT ON BLOGGING.

We have lived in our house in the woods for 24 years and I can count on one hand the number of raccoons I have seen over those years. Each year some animal always causes trouble for us in some ways. This year deer have feasted on the okra in the garden. They have eaten the leaves off almost down to the ground. We only got one small mess of okra all season.
With two water gardens in the back yard with both plants and fish, everyone said watch out!!. In the last two weeks a raccoon has been active around both gardens causing havoc. One morning my wife found that something had dug most of the dirt and gravel and a plant out of it's pot in the water. The water was very muddy and the poor fish were hiding. This happened in the smaller pond. Over near the bigger pond there was a hole in the ground where last year as I mowed I disturbed a nest of yellow jackets. Yes, I got stung! How can such a small bee inflict such pain?? No, I'm not a wimp!!A rock was placed over the hole after I got rid of those bees and dirt place over the rock. Rambo, had dug up the rock to see what was there.
Small tracks across the new sealed driveway gave a clue to what was causing our problems. All the fish were still in the ponds but how long till Rambo discovers the fish? Go get us a trap I'm told by my wife. Off to Tractor Supply to buy a trap suitable for capturing Rambo Raccoon. Man am I in luck, a trap designed for raccoons and other creatures that size is on sale and you also get a smaller bonus trap free. $ 30 and I pick up some sardines for bait, that should attract him. Man those things stink!! That evening I set the trap and bait with sardines and place it near the small pond. Once that varmint enters the trap to eat those sardines and steps on the trigger Bam, down comes the door and he's caught. Maybe?? The next morning I'm out to see if I caught that varmint. Wrong!! The trap is turned over the bait gone and no raccoon in sight. Maybe he's an invisible raccoon. There isn't anyway he could get out?? Round one, Rambo 1- NickO O.
The next night I move the trap to the other side of the pond and bait and set it. I'll get him tonight?? About 4:00 am. I'm awaken by a loud crashing metal noise outside my open bedroom window. I've got him I'm thinking and go back to sleep. After my coffee when I get up I can't wait to see that varmint in the trap. To my sup rise the trap is 15 feet from where I placed it , bait gone, door shut and no Rambo. Rambo 2--NickO O. My wife had seen the varmint late one night and tells me it's not full grown, he's about the size of our cat. Ok, I'll set the smaller trap tonight. I have run out of sardines, that varmint is the best feed raccoon around. Tonight I'll bait the trap with dry cat food. Now I'm not a rocket scientist but I can outsmart a raccoon??. I also fixed the trap so it wouldn't move, I staked it to the ground. The next morning I can't wait to get outside and see if that varmint is in my trap. The door is down, the trigger is torn loose bait gone and no Rambo. He likes dry cat food though, that sucker ate it all!! Rambo 3- NickO O. At this time I'm calling this raccoon the Raccoon from Hell!! My wife didn't like this terminology!.
I'm tired of playing this game with this smart ass raccoon. Now it's WAR!! I was going to catch and release him about 10 or 12 miles from our house but this is WAR!!! Last night I set the alarm for 2: 30 am. I have my clothes, boots and gun out in the garage so I can slip out. My choice of weapon is a 410 shotgun. I've got bigger firepower if needed!!
The night air is cold as I can see my breath as I take a seat in a lawn chair with flashlight and gun in hand. My eyes and ears are on alert but after an hour all I see is Rusty our cat. A strange noise catches my attention. It sounds like it's coming from the small pond. Once at the pond I see what's causing the noise. That varmint has pulled the cord to the water fountain in the middle of the pond to the edge and has taken the head off that causes the water to spray in an umbrella effect. The pump has pumped almost all the water out of the pond but my wife's screens are still over the plants and fish. The noise I heard was the pump sucking air instead of water. Rambo 4-- NickO O.
Does anyone know a good HIT MAN I can Hire??? This ain't no game anymore. Stay tuned!!

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES..............

How far back can a person remember during their childhood? Some people claim they can go back to age 2 or 3. But do they remember or did their parents tell these stories so many times that they are etched into their memory. I can only go back to when I was 5. After reading a blog by Victoria's memories from her childhood I was inspired to share some of mine.
All my early childhood was spent in a rural setting where Dad worked on farms. Playing in a large cornfield with my pet duck. Duck vanished, later in life I found out my duck was Christmas Dinner!! Times were hard!!
Going to work with Dad. Playing in a cornfield while he gathered corn and tossed it into the wagon. Having to go to the bathroom while he picked corn. Dad I got to go!! Son, go over under that tree near the fence. When I finished and was pulling up my overalls something was in my overalls. Daddy, daddy there is a lizard in my pants as I held it for my dear life with one hand. Dad comes to my rescue and pried my hand off what I just knew was a lizard. A small twig had fell from the tree into my overalls.
Playing too rough with my kitty and trying to revive it in a pan of water, hanging it up to dry, it didn't make it. I always wondered why??
Told not to go near the creek by Mom, came home wet and muddy. No I didn't go to the creek. On yeah, you did!!
I wanted to go with Dad one night to get water down in the hollow at the spring. Stay here it's too dark!! I stayed way behind so Dad wouldn't see me and slipped and fell on a sharp rock and cut my elbow real bad. Dad comes again to the rescue.
I get to ride in a borrowed horse and buggy the next morning to my first trip to a doctor. I still carry that scar!
Soldiers across the road, all over the hillside and hollow training for war. Gave us candy and C-rations.
Mom making soap in a large black pot over a fire in the yard.
Remembering the night my brother was born at home. A neighbor's retarded son running up and down the road the next morning announcing that Mrs. B. had a black baby boy. Mom didn't like this!!
We all have childhood memories some where in our head. Do you want to share some of yours?????

MOTORCYCLE MADDNESS...........HANG ON!!!!!!

Motorcycles today are very popular and we see many on the road. Motorcycles once were looked on as bad news for the average person. Hells Angles and other early clubs of bad boys riding their cycles raged havoc on American cities from coast to coast.
In 1957 while in high school I had a friend who was the only boy in school that had a motorcycle. Pat had a new 1957 Triumph motorcycle that was one bad fast ride. Pat was an early motorcycle innovator. He would drag race cars on his Triumph, he wore a leather jacket, no helmet and was popular with some of the girls. Girls liked boys who lived on the wild side. Now why didn't I think about this when I was a teen? Pat probably invented the wheelie? He was doing these way back when.
Our high school was about a mile from where I lived and one day Pat pulled up beside me as I was walking home. " Nick get on back and I will give you a ride home." I climbed on and was about to take my first motorcycle ride, man was I thrilled!!!. My heart rate quicken as the rpm's increased. Man this is fun. Over the viaduct we went and instead of going straight through the light Pat made a left turn. "Hey Pat this ain't the way to my house," as the motor begins to scream and Pat puts the Triumph into a higher gear. We are now speeding down a long straight road leading out of town. I begin to hold onto Pat with my arms tight around his waist and he laughs because Nick one scared wimp. I beg Pat to slow down, "Please slow this thing down." I knew we were going fast but I'm not looking to see how fast we are going. Finally about a mile down the road Pat comes to a stop. "Nick, I never did hit fifth gear and we were going 110 MPH. At the time I wasn't impressed with the speed but was sure I needed to check my pants. LOL!! I make it home and I don't remember if I thank him or not??
Pat would ask me several times if I wanted to ride and would laugh when I said NO WAY!! Pat was an early daredevil if there ever was one. He would own and drive a stock car, worked at his families garage. Later in life Pat settled down and raised a family. He became a policemen in our town and was the first motorcycle cop around the area and later became a detective. A boy who gave the police fits in his youth now works in law enforcement. Imagine that???

BULLIES

Bullying can take many forms and happen in many different places. We see it in the workplace in the home and the sports field but most commonly at school where children learn as much about how to behave towards others as they do about the education. Unfortunately, some children learn only too well how to dominate others by foul means and sadly begin to enjoy doing so setting a pattern for how they will behave as adults. Meanwhile other children more easily dominated suffer miserably often in silence and develop a victim mentality that they may be unable to shake off.
In school there were several boys who discovered that they could dominate other people by the use of force. We all knew who these bullies were and tried to steer clear of any conflict with them. We knew of their actions from fights they were involved. Those bullies in our schools were first of all good with their fist and gained their reputations in action against other students. Bullies just need a reason to engage someone who they don't like into a fight. The guy might be a top student in the classroom, girls might adore him or he might posses some quality that will sit a bully off.
Two bullies while I was in school surfaced while we attended junior high school. The two of them begin as adversities trying to establish their power to be the baddest dude in junior high. In their fight neither one was a clear winner. After the fight they decide the two of them would rule. They soon became best friends and would always travel together showing their powers of force on others. Davin was a good basketball player and Johnny was a like able boy. Together they were trouble. If one was strong enough to fight and beat one of them the other would jump into the fight and together they would beat the other guy. I always hear that two against one wasn't fair but that didn't bother these two. All thorough junior high and into high school they were the bullies no one crossed.
I always heard that no matter how tough someone is there is someone around that is tougher. Davin and Johnny were on a collision course with an encounter that would spoil their reputation. This someone was a student named Austin; a straight A student all through junior and high school. The most like able, easy going, all American boy in the school. Some called him a genius, voted most likely to succeed and a hard playing football player. Perhaps all these qualities gnawed at the bullies and one of them called Austin out for a fight. " Meet me at Wards field after school, Davin told Austin in front a large gathering of students." I never expected Austin to take the challenge from Davin but he said; I'll be there." Man, I thinking Austin isn't as smart as everyone thinks he is. He knows Davin and Johnny work together. Poor old Austin is in for an ass kicking big time!!
Students begin to gether at Ward's field after school and Austin is the first one to arrive. Is he crazy?? Soon Davin and Johnny arrive. Davin walks up to Austin and says, " I didn't think you would have the guts to show up, you are about to get your ass whipped." Davin begins to swing at Austin and the fight is on. Back and forth the two go at each other. Austin isn't the one taking the beating. He's somehow whipping the bully. Davin is bleeding badly from his nose. Johnny comes to the rescue of Davin and takes up the fight , now both of them are fighting Austin. Austin gets in a good lick on Johnny and sends him down to the ground. The fight goes on a while longer until both Davin and Johnny can't take anymore punishment from Austin. Man, he has whipped both of the bullies in the fight. The students in attendance clap and praise Austin for the great fight that he just won. Davin and Johnny tuck their beaten carcasses and leave the scene. The next day the school is all a buzz with what had happen with Austin whipping both of those bad bullies. Austin never let the fight go to his head, he reverted back into the same person he was before the fight. Austin was my friend. He became a doctor after college. He never missed a day all through school and college. He came from humble beginings.
Davin didn't do as good. Several scrapes with the law after school and was sentenced to prison for rape. He was killed while in prison. Johnny fared better than Davin. He became a good citizen in our town. He raised those cock fighting roosters and sold them to people all over the world to fight.
I don't recall any girl bullies while in school. Perhaps some of you readers have stories about girl bullies.

POWER OF PRAYER.........

Are prayers answered?? Well they sure don't hurt anything. Case in point.
A horrible traffic accident happened near Nashville, Tn. back in Sept. of 2008. While driving his car a Presbyterian minister lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a telephone pole. Ray Devries sustained injuries to his ribs, collarbone, pelvis and most of his facial bones were shattered. His heart was torn from its location while his lungs collapsed and his brain swelled. The doctors only gave him a 50-50 chance of surviving with little chance of a full recovery. Ray spent two weeks in a coma at the Vanderbilt trauma unit.
Ray's son, Matt out of desperation started a prayer blog at www.growing andgrowing.com. Matt credits his dad's doctors and nurses along with the hundreds of people who prayed for his dad through the blog with keeping his dad alive.
The blog began as a way to keep friends and relatives informed with his dad's conditions and Matt asked everyone to say a prayer for his dad. Soon the website had over 120,000 hits from all over the world. People were offering up prayers for this man's recovery. Well, it must have worked!!
Rev. Ray Devries is back to work part time at his church. His wife drives him to his church and doctor's appointments. He uses the phone to call on parishioners who are sick. He's hard at work on his next sermon on God's goodness. " I used to preach that God has a plan and purpose for our lives and now I have some practical experience to back it up."

CHRISTMAS.....TENNESSEE STYLE..

When my wife gets in a mood to decorate the house for the Christmas holidays you better get out of the way!! Or help?? Why do women ask men their opinions on what looks better? I give my opinion but seldom does she take it to heart. It will be picked apart with the precision of a trail lawyer.
I did get to help put the tree into position and held the lights while she placed them around the tree in perfect order. It took about two hours before she was satisfied with her effort. I kept quite, well most of the time. When she had finished with the lights she asked"how does it look?" It doesn't look bad!! Wrong answer!! At this point she was finished with my help, so I was out of Dodge. She did the rest of her tree decorating without any help. It only took two days off on on before she finished. I think you will agree with me, it doesn't look bad??
She continued to decorate the house with items she has accumulated for years.












My photos doesn't do her work justice. I wanted a new camera for Christmas but Santa only left two shirts. Maybe next year.
All our kids, grand kids, their spouse and one great grandson were in attendance. The two year old when he open one of his packages with a jacket in it threw it down in the floor and started opening the toy gifts. He doesn't like clothes yet.
A great dinner was prepared by my wife. Baked ham, potato salad, mac & cheese, green beans, bake beans, slaw, rolls, tea and soda. Desserts included her delicious chocolate lush pie and pecan pie.
The rainy night didn't spoil the wonderful time each got to spend with family.

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE......

While searching for stories how people write messages in a bottle and throw them into a body of water in hopes someone far away will find their message and return where it was found. This story was too good not to share.
A family from Ohio was vacationing in Clear- water, Florida in Dec. 1984. They were on a fishing outing from a pier when their 7 year old son prepared a note with his family's address and phone number and requested the finder to get in contact with him. Roger's mother told him she didn't want him to throw the bottle into the sea. "That's, littering mom said but mom I will throw it when no one is looking."
In 2003 Don Smith of Saint Petersburg, Fl. noticed a bottle floating in the canal behind his house. He was able to secure the old Pepsi bottle with electrical tape around the neck from the canal. The content of the message had much more meaning than the weathered paper inside.
Don contacted the phone number inside and it was Roger's mom Lisa. She had remembered that day Roger threw the bottle into the sea.  She went on to tell Don that Roger had been killed in a motorcycle accident a few years ago. Don offered her the old bottle with the note Roger had written.
Lisa made a trip to Florida to accept the bottle from Don. This gave her a piece of her son's past. Don explained to her that; Roger's letting you know you can still find him. The old Pepsi bottle sets on Lisa's mantle today.