Was that a Raccoon?

Our visit to Doe's eatery, a place where you order the steak by the pound to share and sides are served family style. We should have ordered a bit more poundage. We forgot how much we all like to eat!

Our annual Workman/Prentice reunion trip took us to downtown Little Rock, Arkansas, this year...an almost mid-point between Nashville and Tulsa, Oklahoma, the home of our wonderful friends whom we met while we lived in Iowa. Russell and I were classmates and graduated from chiropractic school together. Amy and I instantly hit it off and she became one of my closest friends; a friendship that continues to grow and withstand the nearly 600 miles that lie between us. Amy and I seem to always recount our first meeting during the first trimester at Palmer College, at least one time, each time we are together. Amy introduced me to cooking with real butter and became a friend who I felt comfortable sharing almost anything. And Russell and Eric could not be more opposite. It still amazes me how well they get along. Eric had never shot a gun until he met Russell, but Russell was able to convince Eric to go skeet shooting with some buddies, and Eric really enjoyed it. Hunting is still out of the question for Eric, but the boys did go fishing together the last time we were in Oklahoma. And I still attribute some of Russell's influence on Eric's new found love for football. (Remember, we are from Kentucky, a state where only in recent years, football has made it into the vernacular. In Oklahoma, I think it may be the only sport.)

We attended church and small group together, as well as various school functions, events, and seminar trips. However, that is not where the main bonding of our families occurred. Ours was a friendship that developed and grew sitting around a kitchen table in the Prentice's Davenport apartment, eating Whitey's ice cream and playing Rook into the late hours of night and wee hours of the morning. Of course, this was all pre-children, when we actually had the energy to stay awake past ten and the brain power to muster up some card playing strategy.

We made a commitment that our families would continue to be a part of each other's lives and visit one another at least once (sometimes more) a year. The Prentice's have a sassy, sweet four-year-old named Railey. Amy and I were pregnant together, with Railey being born three months before Caleb. Ahh...a match made in heaven! We usually alternate visits with the Prentices...one year with kids, one year without. And this was our year without kids! Woo Hoo! Not that we don't enjoy getting the whole gang together, but rest is not part of the equation when the whole crew is intact. And since Eric and I hadn't had a get away since the birth of Seth, we were in need of a little R & R. So, we set out for a weekend of card playing, catching up, eating, and relaxing!

Two weekends ago, we stayed at a beautifully restored 1880's farmhouse turned lovely bed and breakfast in the heart of Little Rock. We quickly made it our home away from home, turning the parlor and dining room into our own little game rooms. And did I mention the breakfast was GREAT?! Although we did a little city exploration, the majority of our time was spent cozied up inside the B & B playing cards and laughing, with episodes of The Office playing in the background. I don't think we could have asked for a more relaxing vacation.

Until about 4am on Monday morning. I was awakened to a very peculiar sound, that I thought was coming from the hallway. Our room was located at the end of a long hallway and to me, it sounded like a dog running down the aisle and then plopping down on the floor and skidding the rest of the way down. But there were no dogs in the house. Were there? I did remember seeing a cat, but this sounded too big to be a cat. I lay there, with wide eyes, for the longest time trying to figure out what the heck was outside of our room. Should I be alarmed? It didn't seem to be bothering Eric's sleep. So, I tried to go back to sleep. But the commotion just got louder and louder. Finally, I got up to take a listen at the door. I admit that I was too big of a chicken to open the door and fully investigate. I stood at the door and realized that the noise was not coming from the hallway at all, but from inside the wall. Then the idea of rats flashed through my mind and sent me flying back into the bed. Yuck! The place looked very clean. Well, unless you consider the mold that we found in the coffee pot in our room. Oh, maybe that had been our red flag! I spent a few moments chastising myself for selecting a rat infested inn. What if one were to get out and into our room? I quickly made sure my feet were fully covered. Have I mentioned that I am terrified of rodents, of any kind? Why was I being so irrational...and why didn't I wake up my sleeping husband to talk some since into my head? I chose to hide under the blankets instead, praying for sleep to come. Well, after two hours of listening to whatever it was, performing a workout within our walls and now the floors, I finally drifted off to dreams. Restless sleep, but at least it made the time go faster for me. When I awoke, the varmint was still at it and now Eric was awake and a witness to it. He also stated that he had actually been awake throughout the night, too. That would have been nice to know. At least it wasn't all in my head and I hadn't totally lost it. Eric suggested that it sounded too big to be a mouse or rat. But rats can get pretty big, can't they? I don't remember who suggested it, but we both settled on the notion that a raccoon had gotten into the walls of our B & B.

At breakfast, we found out that the raccoon or whatever it was, had divided its time between scurrying under our room and over top of the Prentices' room. Needless to say, not much sleep had been had by anyone. When the guys mentioned it to the inn's owner, she nonchalantly informed us that it had probably been squirrels. I guess that was the more logical choice, being that we were right in the city. But I still hold to the notion that it was too big to be a squirrel and was indeed a raccoon. When we told Caleb the story once we were home, he wanted to see pictures of the raccoon that had been in our wall. Of course, to a four-year old, a raccoon in the wall was a pretty cool thing.

I guess that is something we need to consider before we stay in an older dwelling again, no matter how beautiful it may be. I will be asking, "Are you sure all of your holes leading the outside are tightly PLUGGED?"

It really was a wonderful trip with our long time friends...aside from the raccoons.