Penny, have you tried hanging dead CDs over the garden?

My life came to a screeching halt yesterday when Banjo came in sick. As I went out to do the animal chores, he had somehow escaped and was coming to the backdoor - to find Mom. I took him inside and left him to go get the two babies and give bottles. But when I returned Banjo had barely moved. He refused his bottle and I went into a blue funk. Oh yeah, over one tiny sick raccoon!

He took up residence on the sofa and I sat with him - after the chores which HAD to be done - and read and worked on computer. Then I phoned R (on Skype), other "mom". B perked up when he heard R's voice! So I perked up and washed some clothes, by hand, and the dishes. But did little else. I have been giving him Pau d'Arco (he hates it) and syringes of water and this morning he guzzled his bottle and later was looking for a place to do his business. I took him outside and he used the grass. That was a relief because it is hard to leave him on the sofa unattended for fear of an "accident". In the process, I find he is not using one rear leg and it hurts if I touch it so I am hoping he is "just"suffering a sore leg and not some dreaded disease.

As he continues to ensconce himself on "my" end of the sofa, I moved to the love seat for the light and ----Arghhhh!!!! The arm is grey!!! R usually sits here and I keep telling him his clothes are dirty and it will.... But it is worse and so I am sitting here getting inspired to figure out how to get it some clean. NOT washable says the label. I think I may try Dr. Bronner's anyway. IT cleans R! MAybe corn starch? Suggestions welcome. I have never needed to clean upholstered furniture.

Almost time for animal chores again. I did go shopping and raised the roof at IGA at the gross stupidity (I did not say that) of clearing the entire bulletin board with no consideration for the posters of events in the future. Furious, I consider the possibility of never shopping there again. Unrealistic. I put up a new poster for Apple Hollow, my last large one.

Ordered a 16 kg bag of puppy food at Super C. It took four staff to deal with my concerns: One spoke some English, one was an anglophone, the manager was from France and the animal food person was a francophone! No, there is nowhere to put a public bulletin board other than back in the corner where no one goes. The bread issue: not a single loaf of bread in the store I would put in my mouth or even give to an animal. I got the name of the bakery manager and a phone number - will she understand English? The dog food will be there tomorrow! One out of three....

Hope R gets back tonight to help me give the guys their second shots, now two days overdue. He has been gone since Saturday with work in the city. So much for our long weekend. Now, the animals...