FROM AWAY FARM MYSTERY

Here's a little levity, surrounded by considerable mystery. Our faithful plumber, Bob Berry, went into our farmhouse this afternoon to turn on the water as there has not been a hard frost for the last few weeks in Maine. Entering the kitchen he found, to his amazement, the place ransacked with everything off the tables and stove, etc. and strewn 'round the room as if a bunch of crackheads had been on a binge. Warily, he turned his attention to the dining room, from there to the parlor, the hall, the library and my office. Complete disarray greated him at every turn. He was about to call the cops when he spied sooty little footprints on the stove and dining table. Aha! Unmistakably a raccoon! He/she had somehow entered the house and, as it was winter, with not much to eat and less to do, the varmit proceeded to enjoy his solitary pleasures. I asked Bob how long it would take to clean up the damage, and in true Maine fashion, he paused, calculating the scope of the disaster, and said "nothin' that a good 3 hours of solid, hahhd labor couldn't cure". Must be pretty much of a mess! He then proceeded to add that the culprit had eaten all the left-over Halloween candy that resided in a covered dish on the kitchen table. Bob continued laconically, "but here's a good one, he didn't eat the Hershey Kisses!". I had to think if they were the ones with or without almonds. Now the question is this, Danda. How did the critter get into the house? We button it up as snug as a bug in a rug. The chimneys are tall and have holes where wood stove flues are closed and latched. There were no radiator covers out of place. The key was still in the barn. How did our guest arrive and more to the point, has he departed? Any ideas? This should give you something to think about while under the covers. I thought the red sqirrels were cheeky little bastards, and the mice create their own small havoc nibbling the fringe off the rugs, but a raccoon with a sweet-tooth is pushing the limit. Perhaps Julian, your country boy, has an idea. Such are the joys of old farmhouses in rural Maine.