One down, two to go

My husband live-trapped one of three raccoon bandits who have been raiding our fish pond at night.

I heard the trap's door snap close around 10 p.m. The night before we had caught a skunk, so we were anxious to see what we had captured.

His buddies tried to help him escape sometime during the night, digging two holes in the yard on either side of the trap. But they couldn't spring him free.

Tom released the varmint early this morning near Island Lake.

Remembering Grandpa Frank

Backyard marshamallow roast  2011

Our next-door neighbor, Frank Barnaby, died yesterday. He was a convenient "grandpa" to our son, who in this photo from last summer is showing him one of his characters in the Lord of the Rings Online game.

We never will forget Frank's unique method of keeping the raccoons out of our fish pond while we were on vacation or the time he inspected my husband's plumb fenceposts that were just setting in the concrete.

Halloween 2011

Most of all, we will remember him for being a warm host, a sharp card player, a wonderful storyteller, a helpful neighbor and a good friend.

We already miss you dearly.