Family Lunch ...

[ArnieM]

... but not my family.  My wife Debbie (aka Ellie May) feeds all of the wild critters outside.  The pic is of mom and a couple of kids.  There's two more kids around somewhere.

What does this have to with smoking?  Today's treat was leftover brined, rubbed and smoked chicken.  They really went for the skin.

[watchdog56]

I thought you were going to smoke them.LOL ;D ;D

[Tenpoint5]

I thought you were going to smoke them.LOL ;D ;D

Ahh they do make great BBQ a little greasy but still darn good!

(Probably not what Miss Debbie really wants to hear)

[ArnieM]

Well, if one 'disappears' every now and then ...  ;D

[squirtthecat]

Connecticut Bandit Burgoo..

[FLBentRider]

I've got at least one terrorizing my trash cans.

[KyNola]

BBQ'd coon?  OH YEAH.  Old family friend who has since passed on ran a heck of a pit.  We all got together one day and he walks in carrying this big roaster.  I asked him what he had in the roaster and he says "BBQ'd coon, you gonna try any of it"?  My response was "only if you sit the roaster down and take the lid off".  Good stuff.

Sorry, little off track but then again, I'm always a little off track.

[BuyLowSellHigh]

I've got at least one terrorizing my trash cans.

That's the problem with feeding (aka baiting) them.  Miss a feeding and they will just help themselves.  You should see what they can do overnight to a 10x12 office with a closed door once they drop in through the ceiling tiles and can't find a way out.

[ArnieM]

I have seen some of the damage 'coons can cause.  I haven't had any problems with these but I don't keep garbage cans outside either. 

Debbie enjoys the wildlife; 'coons, skunks, 'possums, an occasional bear, squirrels, chipmunks and lots of birds.  I keep the 12 Gauge handy just in case.

[FLBentRider]

I've got at least one terrorizing my trash cans.

That's the problem with feeding (aka baiting) them.  Miss a feeding and they will just help themselves.  You should see what they can do overnight to a 10x12 office with a closed door once they drop in through the ceiling tiles and can't find a way out.

We don't feed them. We used to hang the trash cans on a "trash pole" but one of the hurricanes took it out and I didn't put it back up. My problem is teenagers. They don't take it to the road when they are supposed to, and then miss the trash truck, the can won't close for all the trash in it... They sure love cleaning up the mess the 'coons make.

I bet that office was a wreck. Nice surprise on a Monday morning?

[BuyLowSellHigh]

The good news is it wasn't over a weekend, just one weeknight.  The bad news was it looked like a tornado had gone through it.  It happened right around the corner from my office - at about 7:30 am I heard a very loud feminine scream, bolted to see what had happened and found a coworker standing outside her office door staring i through the glass in the door.  Two small raccoons had drooped through the ceiling tiles and, I suspect in an attempt to get back into the ceiling had just about dismantled the office.  They did, however, get all of her food stash.

[Caneyscud]

Looks like the family I did not know was being raised in our "cabin".  Built a cabin 20+ years ago in the backyard for the daughter to use as a playhouse - she didn't - it did not have TV and AC.  Stupid Dad.  Well, my wife, her decorating self, took it over and put a bunch of antiques in it.  Made a combo stillroom and apothecary (like some of the scenes in Practical Magic) out of it.  Had a lot of old glass in it.  And I emphasize had.  Over a winter a couple of years back, a mom and 4 little ones settled in unbeknownst to me.  Boy did I get in trouble for building something they could get into. 

You had to watch out for the mom, she wasn't too afraid of us.  She'd sneak up behind us and try to get into the house as we went inside. 

I've trapped and eaten quite a few many moons ago, but I still think they are cute little buggers!