It was early evening and I was sitting on our back porch when my husband Steven came out the back door.
“Beautiful night.” He said as he sat down next to me.
“It really is.” I couldn’t help but sigh. “I’m sorry to see the summer end.”
We sat there quietly listening to the thrum of the crickets.
“They’re loud tonight.” I said as I reached over to the side table to get my glass of water.
“Listening to them always reminds me that fall is on its way.” Steven said.
I nodded my head in agreement. “It’s funny because I was sitting out here this morning and the cicadas were still calling out to each other.” I took a sip from my glass and put it back down. “That’s a sound that means summer to me.”
We heard the squeaking of two hummingbirds as they darted around the feeder.
“Those two will be heading south pretty soon.” I said as one of them chased the other away. “But I’ll keep the feeder up for a few more weeks just in case.”
Our son Alex came out on the porch. “It’s beautiful out.” He said standing next to us.
“That’s what we were just saying.” I leaned back in my rocking chair.
“Hey!” Alex said pointing over to the neighbors oak tree. “There’s a raccoon climbing up their tree!”
We looked to where he was pointing and sure enough it wasn’t just one raccoon that was climbing up the tree but five of them.
“It must be a Mama and her babies!” I cried as we watched them all slowly make their way into the crown of the tree.
“Our neighbor’s not going to be too happy she has a raccoon family hanging out in her backyard.” Alex said shaking his head.
“I should probably give them a heads up.” Steven reasoned as he picked up his phone and began to text our neighbor.
While Steven was doing that, Alex and I watched as all five of them made their way out onto a limb.
“I guess they’ll stay up there until it gets dark, then come down to see what they can find to eat.”
Alex looked over where we kept our garbage cans. “Hopefully they stay in their yard tonight and skip a visit to us.”
Just then the neighbor came out of her back door, holding her phone, and looking up in the tree.
“Do you see them?” Steven called over to her.
“I do!” She cried. “Now I know why I found everything knocked off my patio furniture when I got up this morning!” She put her hands on her hips and looked over at us. “How am I supposed to get them to leave?”
Steven, Alex, and I looked at each other shrugging our shoulders and shaking our heads.
After a few seconds I finally answered for all of us, “I really have no idea.”
She looked up in the tree one more time before sighing and heading back into the house.
Once I knew she was out of earshot I couldn’t help look over at Steven. “I hate saying it but I’m kind of glad they like it over at her yard better than ours.”
