A necessary nuisance

“I was at my wit’s end trying to deal with a pesky raccoon. He loved to rummage through my garbage cans in the middle of the night, leaving a mess on the ground every morning. He also liked to sneak up into my attic to burrow in my insulation and take long naps. I knew the solution was to call animal control, but even though he was a pest, my heart sank at the thought of him being caught. Instead, I clung to hope that maybe the little monster would find somewhere more interesting to spend his time and leave my house alone.

“One night after dozing off on the couch while reading, I heard a strange scratching at my front door. I looked through the window and saw the raccoon, who I’d not-so-affectionately named ‘Rascal,’ peering at me with his beady black eyes. It was a strange, almost purposeful look as he stood on his hind legs and scratched again. ‘Shoo! Get out of here, Rascal!’ I yelled, tapping the window. Rascal blinked, unconcerned and slowly ambled off to cause more mischief.

“Just then, I smelled the strong scent of gas.

After pinpointing the odor in the kitchen, I realized I’d never turned off the stove after heating my teapot hours earlier. I flipped off the burner and opened the windows. As I returned to the living room, I smiled to myself, realizing I’d just been saved from a potential disaster by a furry masked bandit!”

—Irene Bene, 61, Jackson, MS