Get out!

I was sitting here at my desk, scrolling through the 1850 US Census for Washington, DC. The back door was open for the kits to do a little night prowling because Lovey had made such a fuss about 9 p.m. Both kits had been in and out several times, visiting me, visiting the water bowl, visiting the dry kitty food bowls about a yard inside the back door under the window - no big deal.

I was puzzling over why a group of people had no last names listed, when the Census taker had written out every single surname on every row, when i heard a crunching at the food bowl less than a foot away from my desk chair. I glanced down, and wondered why Banichi had his tail fluffed out so big... and went back to my puzzle in the Census. Then an odd chirping, squeaky cry came from beside my chair.. I looked down again and realized it was a raccoon calling its' pal inside to eat up. Without thinking, I jumped up and said, "What are you doing in here? You belong outside! Get out!" As I stood, the raccoon fled, and its' buddy, who was cleaning the peanuts out of the cracks in the squirrel chair, left as well. They paused at the base of the aspen next to the fence, then shimmied up the tree with an agility that I'd like to have.

Banichi was sitting on the next door patio and came in immediately when I called. Lovey took her time, but eventually came in at full speed and had to skid to a stop against the front door.
Personally, I think she likes to skid on the hall rug. Banichi now has a wild hair and is running like mad, skidding everywhere and howling at the ceiling. I think I'll give them some catnip to mellow them out a bit before bed....