They brought their whole Family

For days the raccoons have been making havoc on our pour garden. James and I haven't had a garden in years, 30 to be close. We thought we would experiment with a small one by the barn this year. Nothing fancy, just tomatoes, squash, corn, okra, strawberries, cantaloupe, carrots, bell pepper, and good old watermelon. The carrots never came up. I think we planted them up side down. The strawberries are still there, but have never bloomed. That corn…cant say enough about it. It was white sweet corn and melt in your mouth good! I don't eat squash, nor okra, but the plants made enough that my husband enjoyed. Then there's those tomatoes. I don't like them either unless they are in the form of ketchup or tomato sauce. Anyway, he thought he was planting big tomatoes and they ended up being cherry tomatoes. He eats some of them, but gives most away. His bell pepper only made two….I had to laugh at that one! The cantaloupe and watermelon were my idea since I love both and cant get enough in the summer time. 
Well, for the last few days the raccoons have been making their dinner at our expense, every night. First, they only ate a couple of watermelons…….Now let me tell you, my garden is small, but there were properly about forty nice watermelon, just waiting to have that tail turn brown so we could pick them…. Anyway, back to those raccoons.
James sat outside with his gun two nights ago until 1:30 in the morning. Saw nothing so  he came to bed and yesterday morning, when the sun came up, they had struck again. This time they brought all their kin folk, picnicking on our fruit. Last night we decided we would just give up. James picked two of the biggest watermelons, said they wont get those, and let me tell you that was the sweetest I’d ever eaten. I was sick knowing they would strike again….and they did, last night. I got up during the early morning at 4:30, looked out the back window. Up popped a head. I got James up who got his gun and hurried out the front door. I went back to the window, waiting, listening for that shot….Up pops a head again…POW….palettes hit the barn behind the one that popped up. I saw him run all the way around the barn and threw the pasture. POW….James saw two more, crawling, should I say, sneaking out of the watermelon vines. He thinks he got one because he said he could hear it huffing for air. They had stomped all the vines down, crawled as they ate, and ate they did! There are only three good ones left that we can see and about two cantaloupe. They will be back tonight to finish them off and this time we will be setting the table.

We only enjoyed those two watermelon James brought in the house, and only one good tasting cantaloupe, but they were something we ate with pride and enjoyment, knowing we grew them and we know nothing about gardens or raccoons. I forgot to tell you, I goggled how to get rid of them. Don't try the peanut butter in a cage thing….It didn't work! We will do better next  year and we will have the last of our fruits!….that said, I better get down to the end of the pasture and check the peach trees….those dang deer will think we opened a restaurant!