Catch & Release

I’m stuck in bed… hurting, bored and definitely don’t want to do homework. Then I remembered something HILARIOUS that happened last week, and decided I should share it with you.

John is a construction supervisor/facilities manager here at Mission on the Bay. He is as “Mississippi” as you can get (I can’t really think of any other way to say it). He has a heavy southern accent, loves Jesus and doesn’t put up with anyone’s crap. I’ve learned to love him, but I’m not going to lie, I’m also pretty intimidated by him. I definitely would not want to be on John’s bad side.

Well, the other day, I was minding my own business. I had just finished lunch and was talking with a few other volunteers. All of a sudden Lindsay came up to me and said John needed to take me somewhere after lunch and it was REALLY important. Everyone sitting around me was saying things like, “uhh ohh” or “wear something that can get muddy”… things like that. Even the director of Mission on the Bay said, “Well, I guess it’s your time Fran.” They all knew what was about to happen.

So I grabbed my jacket (and my camera) and met John out by his truck. I knew I couldn’t say no. As I was climbing in he told me to wait and to come to the back of the truck. I peered into the truck bed and noticed a fairly large cage… and then I noticed something inside the cage… A RACCOON!

So I guess John’s neighbor is an elderly woman who has a raccoon problem. They always come into her yard and eat the cat food on her porch. She came to John a while ago and asked if he could help her with this problem. A lot of people just shoot raccoons, but John chooses to catch and release. He sets up cages and attracts the raccoons with honey buns. According to John, a honey bun to a raccoon is like “cocaine to a crack addict.”

John showed me that poor little raccoon and said, “You wanna come with me to set him free?” Who could say no?! I was so flattered that John invited me to come along, and I’m so glad he had it in his heart to set it free.

We drove out to the woods and let him go. I had to stand back, and John opened the cage from the truck bed. He was gone before I knew it. I bet there aren’t too many people who can say they’ve been raccoon catch and releasin’!