Some Noise is Hard to Mask

 

Some Noise is Hard to Mask

Noel Laflin

5-6-24

The sounds of a mighty battle taking place in our old pear tree at 2am today brought me out of a sound sleep.  The tree is only twenty feet from our bedroom sliding glass door – and with the door being slightly ajar this time of year to let in fresh garden air, well, one would have to be near-deaf to have missed the racket coming from its well camouflaged center.

The sharp screeches and screams (think of battling cats on steroids) were no doubt raccoons having a brawl up in those branches. Or, perhaps a raccoon and a opossum having a territorial dispute; I have witnessed those guys going at it before out back, too.  Consequently, I am not exactly sure who the second opponent was, but one of the fighters was definitely a young raccoon as I watched him fall ten feet from the tree, land on the edge of the big pond directly below, dust himself off (literally, as he was quite dusty and leaf blown, so to speak), run across the garden and scamper up the opposite garden fence and disappear.

Coming back into the house and noting the time on the bedside clock, I noticed that David had slept through the whole thing.

After 24 years, I know the fellow is not deaf nor nearly even near-deaf, but he’s definitely a sound sleeper.

When cleaning up the garden later this morning, I saw where the raccoon made his footing error in the tree, as there was a rotten portion of a branch above – now laying on the screen covering the pond - where he must have mistakenly made his last stand – quite literally – as it obviously gave way with him on it.

But, I am sure he’ll be back to do battle another night.

Wish I could sleep as soundly as David …