Holy @#$%&*ing Hell....

Woken up last night at 4 am by the most Gawd-awfullest noise I've ever had the privilege of being woken up by - the most bizarre, high-pitched, loud conglomeration of chitters and shrieks. I half sat-up, frozen in horror by the complete unexpectedness and unidentifiability of what I was hearing...

I looked to my cat. She had just strolled into the room and sat down, glancing towards the side window and the ruckus, then back at me, calm but aware. Well, she wasn't freaking out, but it still took me a few minutes to gather the courage to get out of bed and creep towards a window, bracing myself for a glimpse of I knew-not-what......

...in time to see as the dim outlines of 3 RACOONS shambled around the corner of the building and paused, noticing me staring out the window at them.

Obviously discomforted in turn by my irritable-relieved growl of "I see you, creature!!", they promptly gallumped on and out of sight.

I swear it took me at least a half-an-hour to come down from that adrenaline-dump enough to get back to sleep......