“We need to put the food away”
Trevor reminds us of the raccoon warnings
“Four more minutes”
Dominic says
not wanting to leave the warm fire
Then there’s a rustling
coming from the screen room
My eyes widen
in a mix of surprise and fear
“The raccoons” I think
I’m frozen in my chair
Eyes glued to what’s going on around me
Trevor flying from his chair
snatching the umbrella pole
lying around from when we went to the beach
Dominic and my dad are right behind him
Ax and fire poker in hand
They quickly unzip the tent
Bursting into the screen room.
Before I can stop myself I’m laughing
Trevor’s hissing at the raccoons
and knocking the umbrella pole against the picnic table
Successfully scaring the raccoons
Everyone’s laughing and teasing him
about his ridiculous charade
as we pack up the food
putting different coolers in different cars
Not much later we go to bed
Listening to the bang-bang of the dumpster
the raccoons’ failed attempts to get in.