#275 - Raccoons Be Gone!

We were both up early this morning to be ready for the arrival of the pest control contractors we hired to remove raccoons from out attic and prevent them from re-entering.

I first woke at seven and viewed my doorbell cam. After not seeing any trucks out front, I set my alarm for another hour of sleep. By eight they still hadn’t called or arrived. I was will to bet I could get a bit more sleep, when they called to say they would arrive at 8:45 AM.

Perfect!

Another forty minutes of shuteye.

We both managed to be out of bed and dressed before they knocked on the door. We showed them up to the attic space via kiddo#2’s room and they immediately got to work. Job one was to assess the space for damage and for feces. Overall, the space was in good contition. There were feces piles, which they cleanup for us and over kiddo#1’s bedroom dormer they found a nest.

Mamma Raccoon had piled all the blown-in insulation into one spot to birth and raise her cubs. That area also had some regular sheet insulation which the raccoon had torn up. But other than that the place was in good shape.

We’ll need to add some more blown insulation at some point, as a lot of it has settled. The original builders were probably too cheap to use the right amount.

The guys headed outside and went to work. I headed to my desk and started up my machine wondering what the day could possibly bring me. My counter part in Ottawa arrived at work early only to find out that the power outage from the night before had destroyed a switcher of some kind and managed to disable the internet.

The Ottawa studio was temporarily bricked for the time being. That left me on my own to run the team. The messages started flying in from all directions. People asking for things, talking about the downed systems and software licensing issues.

The dinging never ceased.

I had work of my own to do and tried to get some it done between requests and messages. It wasn’t long before some of my team who were able to work needed more assignments. And it turned out that new assignments were in very short supply. It took some thinking and doing to find things to do. And with the power and internet outage we needed to be as productive as ever. And on top of that it’s a short week.

My counterpart did her best to help. All she had at her disposal was her cell phone and the Teams app. She did do a great job of communicating to the team what was happening, so I really appreciated the help.

Some how I managed to survive until noon.

I took the time to look outside and see what the guys were up to on the roof. They had some of the panels in place and they looked nice and beefy. No raccoons were getting back in the attic through there again any time soon.

We didn’t take our walk today, and I’m not sure I would have wanted to anyway with the hot and humid temperatures out there. It got well over forty-five degrees Celsius by twelve. I’m not sure how those guys survived being up on ladder on an asphalt shingled roof all day. At least they were on the shady side of the house. But still it was like an oven out there.

I talked to one of the guys for awhile about what they were planning on doing next and they showed me all the work that was already done. The next step was going to be sealing off the little peaks on the dormers and blocking the entrance to the attic that started it all when birds started make a home there.

They promised to add some flashing there to seal it up from any further egress.

I was starting to feel like all the money we were spending on this was going to be worth it. These guys seemed to know what they were doing and were doing it conscientiously.

I spent a little time on the deck and inspecting the back garden before having a quick call with my counterpart. I thought she had called me, but I think I called her accidentally when I was carrying my phone around while holding a bunch of other things.

Anyways we had a nice chat before another department supervisor messaged me looking for some assets. So, it was back upstairs and back to work. No rest for the wicked.

The afternoon was much the same as the morning with exception of a meeting that we had to attend. I’ve heard tell of these meetings and went into it expecting a lot. Turned out, this was the shortest meeting these guys had ever had. Some how we lucked out an attended the easiest version of this meeting that has ever transpired.

Something had to go our way eventually!

I took a short break after the meeting to collect our mail and get another look at what the guys had done so far. Everything was looking good as far as I could tell. It was still pizza oven hot outside, so I didn’t linger long, but on my way back to the front door I say they had put my old one-way squirrel door on the lawn. I snatched it up, because you never know. And I had paid for it, so it was mine to snatch.

I went back to work, raising my desk to the standing position to make sure my butt/back muscles weren’t being stressed. Standing part of the day really seemed to help the muscles heal.

It also allows me to stretch and move in a way I can’t sitting down.

I continued to do some approvals and put on the Netflix show called Legends while I worked. A little while later I got a message from our art director telling me she had approved some of the paintings. This was great news because it meant it could render the files and send them on to the next department who needed something to do. I spent the rest of the day getting those files ready and sending them to our render farm.

Once they were done, I checked for any failed renders and resent any back through the farm. All that was left do was mark the files as having been exported and move the files to the right folder for the next team to grab.

With the day done I continued to watch Legends at my desk until I’d had enough and went back outside into the garden. There were two fat strawberries hanging right in front of me, ready to be picked. It was odd to feel how warm they were to the touch.

I inspected the tomato plants and was happy to see the large plant was making fruit. It won’t be long before we are floating in tomatoes. Even the bell pepper plant was starting to produce tiny little fruits. Could be in for a bumper crop.

Robyn left for her support worker job.

I was feeling a little peckish, so I ordered myself a chicken slider and two tenders from Dave’s Hot Chicken. I’ve enjoyed their tenders in the past. Their chicken is real and juicy, and I like the coating and the Dave’s sauce. Today the coating wasn’t as good, but it was still tasty enough that I enjoyed it.

I should have eaten the leftovers in the fridge to save money and eat something healthier, but my soul needed nourishment as much as my belly.

While Robyn was away at her job, I set a goal to write one thousand words by the time she returned, which is usually and hour. I set myself up on the back deck and started smashing the keyboard with my chubby fingers. By the time she returned I had managed to eek out twelve hundred words. Not bad all things considered.

We retired upstairs to watch a show. I have hours and hours of writing to do tonight, but I wanted to start the evening off with some relaxation together. We watched This Week Tonight to start with a little light comedy. John Oliver, in past episodes, has tried to get himself cast as a soap opera character. And now it seems he has landed bit roles on not one, but two daytime soaps. He showed the audience two still shots of him in character and each was hilarious.

Next, we moved on the season finale of The Agency, which was a thrilling episode. They ended the finale with a clear objective to have a third season and I for one hope it gets greenlit.

It’s a good looking show, great acting and lots of shooting locations that any good spy thriller needs.

At the end of the show Robyn made us a tea and then we decided I should stop watching television and get back to mashing out some words.

Our friends messaged us to say we should arrive at their house anytime after seven to attend what they call “Cottage Week.” They often throw a big party, but this year it seems like it will be a smaller affair.

Which is fine by me. I like a slow night just hanging out and chatting about this or that around a campfire. We’ll have to see if the weather holds out for us. I think there is rain in the forecast all the rest of the week.

There was talk of taking a hot tub as well, but with these temperatures the hot tub might feel more pool-like.

Kiddo#1 came home and went straight to her room to crash out on her bed. She must be really tired from the heat and taking care of all those kids. Or maybe she thinks she’ll finally get a good night’s sleep with all the raccoon proofing that happened tonight. I for one, think they are going to make a racket tonight when Momma can’t get back inside the attic and the babies start to panic. How long will it take them to get desperate enough to venture outside?

One of the things I learned today about the little critters, is that they usually have two or three homes that they move between. So, kicking them out of our place means Momma will lead her little ones to one of the other locations. The guy I was talking to said he thought our neighbour’s were one of the other homes they were using.

It got me thinking that since we have effectively kicked them to the curb, they are just going to make a new home in someone else’s attic here on the street. And it I were them I would choose the house that is the exact make and model five or six houses down the street.

But I guess that will be their problem and not mine. Seems like I got into the wrong business, this raccoon thing is a bit of racket.

Kiddo #2 went out to the movies on date with the girl he met last week in Hamilton. He wore a long sleeve shirt under a short sleeve shirt because he didn’t like how his arms looked.

Did I mention it is forty-five degrees Celsius out there.

He’s gonna sweat himself dry tonight.

Tonight is my two hundred and seventy fifth consecutive blog post.

I never thought I’d last this long if I am being honest. I was sure I would mess up, or life would get in the way somehow, but against all the odds I managed to keep writing everyday.

This is one streak that has become too powerful to just let it slide. It would have to take something big to make me miss posting. And to think everyday it gains more strength.

Another streak with a lengthening unbroken chain is the 2026 words per day challenge. This challenge is the one that gives me the most trouble. The effort required is much more than I am used to giving, but it is relentless. I also refuse to tap out. I mean to last the full year come hell or high water.

It’s a point of pride for me.

I hate that I struggle with it the most, but it also has taught me the most out of all the challenges. I have a much better idea of what works for me as a writer than I did when I started. I can’t say that about my chess playing.

And speaking of chess, I have been doing this for one hundred and seventy-nine days in a row. That’s a lot of chess games. I also do at least five chess puzzles per day as well. I can’t claim that my chess game has improved, but it hasn’t worsened either.

I stepped in a rusty old screw that the raccoon guys must have removed from the old soffit with my bare feet tonight. Naturally it was sitting in the grass lying point up. It definitely pierced the skin, and it hurt like a bugger. I’m pretty sure I am up on my tetanus shot but thought it would be wise to disinfect and clean the hole with isopropyl alcohol just to be safe.

My fault for going barefoot after someone has been doing construction on your home all day.

But nothing can humble you faster than a prick to the underside of your foot.

My stock dropped a little today, but just a small amount. I think it was natural. After things rise for a bit, there is always a little correction. People take their profits and it causes a small dip. Having said that, the dip was miniscule and didn’t even come close to my original purchase price. But it is a slowing of the gains and could signal an upcoming and more significant dip. I’ll continue to keep an eye on it.

I’ve been thinking more and more about going to the cottage this year. I am so ready to take some time off. One of the things I would like to do one year is to build a small electric boat of some kind. A dinghy with a motor or motorized kayak to putter around the lake and do some more exploring.

I see all these YouTubers doing things like this all the time and it looks like great fun. As a kid I was always building tings with Lego or whatever materials were lying around the house. I’ve seen recent videos where people were testing out three-hundred-dollar electric jet skis from Temu or Alibaba. And they went fast and lasted for about an hour. At that price point it’s easier just to buy one rather than build it.

My big blind spot would likely be the electronics, but I feel that there are so many good tutorials online these days that I could probably cobble something together. Okay, I’d probably fry all the circuits and ruin all the electrical. But a guy can dream.

I’d love something small with a solar roof to act as a canopy and to help fuel the boat and give me a slightly longer range. I’m talking about pleasure cruising not jet ski fast performance.

Maybe I am just inspired by the Norwegian guy I subscribe to, who first made a small proof of concept boat and lived in it for a few weeks to see what he could accomplish. I’m not even looking to make something I could overnight in, let’s face it, I would likely only use this thing once or twice a year. I don’t have chance to get out on the water that much.

I’m often amazed and impressed by the people on YouTube who can take what looks like garbage and creates something really cool out of it. Maybe if I could source the batteries and motors out of junk, I might be able to justify the build. If it’s cheap enough than why not give it a try. Of course, it’s not like I am swimming in free time right now either. I probably don’t have the time to put into a project of this sort.

It’s a bit of a pipe dream really.

Ever since I capitulated on getting another cat, I haven’t heard a word about it. I managed to get them to agree that we shouldn’t get a cat until after we had gone to the cottage because the cat would still be bonding with us and if we left it in the care of some else it might bind with them instead. Secretly, I am hoping that they forget all about by that time comes and we don’t get a cat. As much as I love the furry little things, I am allergic and I don’t really want to have to take care of an animal at this point in my life.

I’ve had about three or four cats in my life, and I think that’s plenty of feline co-habitation for one lifetime. I know kiddo #2 won’t soon forget about what comes after the cottage weekend, but maybe he will be distracted by other tings. I know I sure was at that age.

These days I get my cat fixes when we visit other people’s houses. That’s enough for me to feel satisfied. I don’t need one of my own waking me up at five am because it wants to play or has decided it’s feeding time.

Or worse we get one like we had before that snored louder than a human and had to sleep on our bed, usually on my side.

And don’t even get me started on getting a dog. That’s a definite no!

Woof!

It’s eleven pm and Robyn just went out to water the plants thinking it would be much cooler than earlier, but it’s still hot as balls. The weather app is saying it still feels like it’s in the forties.

While she was out there, she saw one of the baby raccoons standing on the roof looking confused as to what it was supposed to be doing. At least it shows the one-way door is working like it’s supposed to. I reckon Momma is carrying them down one at a time to take them on a midnight adventure and hopefully to one of their other homes.

I haven’t heard any noises so far tonight and that’s great development. We may get them all out tonight if they exit the one-way door.

I am drinking my tea out of the temperature-controlled mug. Now that I’ve had it for a little while, I can truly say that I still love it. I use it almost every day and every time I make a full coffee or brew a tea.

Some days, I comeback after our hour-long walks and its still sitting there keeping my beverage at just the right temperature. I am getting my money’s worth for sure. It’s completely changed the way I consume my hot beverages. There is no rush to finish before it gets cold. Those days are over and I find a relaxing cup of tea, is actually relaxing now and the experience is extended for hours.

Another product that has been performing well for me is the Uniball Zento Signature gel pen. The magnetic cap closure ensures that the ink doesn’t dry out on me prematurely and it feels great to click into place whether I am posting the cap or recapping it. The size, shape and wight all feel right in my hand. I’ve been using it for my work notes as well as my personal notebooks.

When you use a tool that feels right, you’ll use that tool more often. And I have been using my Zento Signature everyday since it arrived. I highly recommend it if fit and finish matter to you.

I have a much more expensive fountain pen, but because of its value, it doesn’t really leave the house. I do miss using it though because of how nicely it writes. I’ll have to find a reason to use it again.

Most fountain pens need decent paper to write on and that is another advantage of the Zento, it writes on all kinds of paper well and that make it a better choice for an everyday carry.

Another purchase I made last year is my GoTrax GX3 e-scooter. I took it out the other night for a spin around the neighbour hood after checking to make sure everything was in order and operating correctly. Last year, it arrived in March and I took it out starting then.

Here we are at the very end of June and it’s just coming out of the garage. Time to start using it again. I loved my evening rides and jaunts on the weekend. There is a physicality to riding one of these things that I think people underestimate. You use your whole body to ride them, especially if you take them off road like I do. But then again most people don’t have an offroad capable scooter.

I just stepped outside to see if I could see any of the raccoons hanging out on the roof. I spotted one near the trap door and it just stared back at me, not minding the brightness of the high lumened flashlight. I heard what I thought was a juvenile walking long the upper soffits. And then it realized it was walking on the soffits above our front door. That had me scratching my head as to how it got there in the first place. If it was youngster it might have been small enough to crawl there, but I didn’t think there was anyway to get from the ceiling of the second floor to the ceiling of the first floor.

I watched for a little bit longer, trying to use my flashlight like a pointer to attract the little one to another spot so it could climb back up, but I didn’t have any effect. The raccoon hanging around is probably the Momma, but I’m not expert on that. For all I know it was one of the other juveniles. I think the Momma raccoon is in for a restless night, because she can’t get back into the attic to help her cub.

The little guy is going to have to figure it out for himself. I’m sure they are all tired after all noise the guys made this afternoon installing the barrier soffits and trap door.

The are very cute though and those faces and eyes are so expressive.

I may have to try and remove some of the soffit under the doorway if the little stinker can’t find it’s way out. I really don’t want to give the little buggers any ideas on how to re-enter the premises, however.

After looking into our unwelcomed guests, I moved my writing to the downstairs living room so the light and sound from my laptop wouldn’t bother my sleeping beauty of a wife. She hasn’t slept well the past few nights and there is no reason for me to be working in bed when she is trying to use the room for what it was designed for.

I confirmed Canada Day celebrations at our friend’s house for tomorrow evening. I’m looking forward to sleeping in and then having a very relaxing day, (read lazy), and then an even more relaxing evening with friends.

I hope to watch a few shows that have come out recently, such as the Bear, and get some reading done as well.

And since it’s a new month, the 2026-word challenge quota resets and I only have to write 2026 words per day. Which should feel really easy after these past few days. But I’ve said that before around this time last year.

I recently read that Tom Hardy will be returning to film the third season of Mobland for Paramount Plus. That’s a show that was done really well. Guy Pearce certainly does British mobsters like no other. Of course, Hardy’s return doesn’t guarantee that the show will be renewed, it just clears the way for renewal, because without him you really don’t have a show anymore.

The news is telling me that the new Olive Garden has opened its doors at the Vaughn Mills shopping center. Its close enough from where we live to drive there as once in awhile thing. And it has the bonus of the shopping center as well, not to mention a Bass Pro store as well.

It’s only a matter of time before my wife has us driving down there to get her unlimited bread sticks and salad. Every time we go to the US we have to stop there so she can get her fix.

It will be little trips like this that will be our mini vacations for the next few years if Robyn goes back to school in September and the animation industry continues to be lukewarm like has been for the past three years.

We aren’t even sure if we’ll get to take another cottage vacation next year. We do now have access to another spot that my mother-in-law purchased, but it’s not quite the same vibe as the simple log cabin on the water that we rent once a year.

The older couple that owns the cottage may not want to or may not be able to continue renting it out soon. He is in his nineties, and she is a bit wobbly on her feet. I suspect that if something happens to one or both of them, their kids will sell the property off. An end of an era for them and for all the people who’s live have been touched by their cottage and themselves.

Even if we could afford to buy it off them, I don’t think we would. The land has three buildings on it and large sugar bush. I can’t imagine what the place it worth at this point. Millions would be my guess. I think the person who buys this place will knock down the more modern looking home they live in a build something huge in its place. Maybe they keep the log cabin too as separate rental.

We will be sad when it’s their time to go and we will miss the times we had at that magical place. So, I am going to enjoy the shit out of it this year, no matter what!

It’s hard to believe that we are only a month away from having our week at the cottage. This year, in an attempt to reduce the amount of meals I need to prepare, I will make a buncnh of things in advance and freeze them. Robyn usually does a seadfood boil and of course we have to have hamburgers and hotdogs at least once. That leaves five meals for me to make in advance.

Right now, I am thinking:

Chicken Ruby

Meat Loaf

Baked Salmon

Roasted Chicken Thighs

Spaghetti and meatballs.

 

Every noise I hear in the house makes me think it is the raccoons. My mind is playing tricks on me. It’s so hot outside the air conditioner is running non-stop to try and keep up. The kids aren’t exactly stealthy when they get up in the middle of the night either.

We are supposed to get some thunderstorms this week and I for one am hoping for a real thunderstorm. When I was younger I feel like the storms were louder and more powerful. The only time thunder gets like that now is when we are up at the cottage and the thunder just rumble for mile and miles. I miss those big storms.

I loved to read out on the front porch with a cup of tea. Nobody bugs you for reading in the summer when its raining cats and dogs outside.

We lucked out this week at work with the holiday and the FIFA game on Thursday. I won’t be going into the studio at all this week, so I should feel well rested by the time the weekend is over. That commute sucks the life out of you and makes me want to stay home and do nothing. But not this week!

Hurray for small miracles!

So, I have completed six months of the 2026 words a day challenge, as well as participating in my mentorship program. I got to thinking about the good and bad thing about both of things.

I can say that I am exhausted. But then again, I am always exhausted. Some of that is from my 9 to 5, but the recovery time is reduced due to writing.

I have accomplished more writing than I thought was possible, at least for me. And I know now that I could produce a great deal more volume if I set my mind to it.

My typing speed has increased significantly. Sometimes when I am typing the words feel like they are flowing effortlessly out of my fingertips. That just comes from practice, I think.

I’ve learned what things work for me and what things don’t. And I have started formulating plans to improve myself in those lack luster areas.

Procrastination is a big thing for me as well as deadlines. Learning to write a little bit each day reduces the amount of stress I put on myself. I can feel the stress of a writing project when I know I should be working on it, but I don’t. And there is no need for that, I want the writing part to be fun.

Seeing how much I can get done in smaller spurts throughout the day has been eye opening. And it feels better, like I snuck the writing into otherwise wasted time.

My mentor has taught me a lot about what things I need to work on. And I get the bonus of her explaining the concepts I’ve learned, but now it’s in direct relations with my writing. It’s no longer abstract, but concrete. It makes learning the concepts so much easier. As an example, my mentor’s husband often read one of my stories when I was writing a story a week or when I submitted to his magazine.

He often told me that I had information flow issues.

So, I took the information flow class. And then I took the Advanced information flow class, and I learned all these things.

But it wasn’t until my mentor, his wife, read my stories that she could specifically pint out the issues and offer solutions on how to fix it or do it better for next time.

And that is priceless information that might have taken me years or even decades to learn by myself.

It was also reassuring to hear from a professional writer that some of my stories were well received. That tells me that I am on the right track, that the studying is working. And that gives me a confidence to keep going that I might otherwise not have had.

But there have also been the times when I choked and missed a deadline. Sometimes it was from being exhausted, but other times it was because I waited so long to start that I froze. Or I gave the writing too much importance, and it made me doubt myself.

The truth is every time I get started on a story I start to have fun. And the times I have been having fun are when I produce the stories that are received the best.

I’ve learned that you just have to keep going. If you write a story that sucks, nobody dies. The world keeps spinning and no one calls the police on you. So why get so worked up about a thing that is supposed to be fun to do.

I’ve learned to write in different spots and in noisy places. I used to need quiet to concentrate, but now I can use the energy of a room to my advantage. My mentor and her husband suggest you pick a certain spot and time to write. But I like the idea of writing anywhere. I get bored of the same place all the time.

Tonight, for example, I am sitting on the downstairs couch in the living room. I never sit here to write, but tonight it called to me. I love writing on the deck and I get a lot done while riding the train. I even did some writing recently as a passenger in a car. It prompted me to buy a sunshade for my laptop, but I got stuff written! And you know I write while in bed.

I’ve learned that as much as I prefer to write in the late evening, the world works better for me if I can get stuff done before or during the day. The evenings are filled with too much socializing, and you are trying to do something difficult when your energy is at it’s lowest.

I’ve learned that given the chance, I will wait to the last minute to write my stories and assignments.

The bad part is that I have managed to pull it off so many times that it has made me overconfident. But also, it has given me that confidence through experience. But I don’t want to be the last-minute guy.

By the end of tonight, I will have written three hundred and sixty-six thousand words since the beginning of the year. That number still blows my mind. Never did I imagine that I’d be writing at this volume at this point in my journey.

I’ve learned the power of streaks and tracking those streaks. And the power of taking part in challenges. Challenges that are a little bit scary and push you to work above your comfort and skill level.

The first challenge I did was the story a week challenge. Any challenge has a streak built into it automatically. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could write a story every week from scratch. But some how I did, and I did it from less than inspiring prompts.

Prompts like water bottle or white cat.

And yet I was able to find a story from those prompts that I never would have written otherwise. After you have done that over fifty-two times in a row, it changes you.

And of course, I have learned how much I don’t know and how much more I need to learn to be really good. And the only way to learn it to read, study and most importantly write.

Halfway through 2026 and I am feeling pretty good about how things are going for me in regard to my writing journey.

It’s now three twenty in the morning.

I can hear the raccoon babies crying for their Momma. I think one of them has got themselves lost in the attic and can’t find it’s way out at the moment. They were making quiet the racket a few moments ago. It sounds more like the cries of Rhesus monkeys than raccoons.

I really hope it climbs back up the way it came and finds its way out the one-way trap door. Otherwise, I have more work to do tomorrow finding a way to get it free.

I just went out to have another look and sure enough I can hear two of them walking around in a spot they should not have been able to get to. I’ll have to remove a panel from the lower soffit and place a ladder underneath or something, so they have chance to get down from there.

What a pain in the tuchus.

It’s now coming up on three forty in the AM and I am getting very tired. It’s been a bot of a marathon writing session to get to the end of this month, but strangely it was a mild improvement over other months. I only had three days of crazy quota numbers unlike May where I had a week of 6500 word days and that was rough.

I felt like I’d gone through a gauntlet after that.

So, this is a slight improvement.

And hey, tomorrow is a new month and the clock resets. Time to turn over a new leaf. The possibilities are endless.

I should take this moment to thank my wife for being so understanding and always supporting me on this crazy writing journey. There are times writing keeps us apart and that saddens me, but hopefully all the pain with give us some gains.

I aim to make all the hard work and sacrifices worth it, not just for me, but for her too.

I keep joking that I’ll set all my novels in warm sunny paradises so we can travel there to “do book research.”

Tomorrow is Canada Day. I hope you all spend it with the people you like and love. And our American cousins will be celebrating their July fourth, so enjoy!

This means Independence Day one and two will be on this weekend.

Back before Will made that slap.

Anyway, I’m tired and getting loopy. Time to end this boated blogpost and call it a night.

Until tomorrow.