I have been racking my brain to come up with some funny or witty way to tell you about today…nothing seems appropriate, so I will just begin.  I could not take it anymore.  The smell had overcome me; yes I am referring to the revolting, disgusting and vile scent that had taken over my living room.  It has been a cool week and the smell was still getting stronger.  Not to mention the number of flies that had flocked to my screens and ceiling.  I guess I could rule out that it was not a dead mouse in my wall. 

Last week I gingerly tried to take my wall apart and saw no easy way to accomplish that task (it was so nicely redone a few years ago) so I stopped.  I should have known better then…today was the last straw it warmed up to 60 and I could not take it anymore.  With flies (not black flies) swarming I started with a few screwdrivers and a hammer.  Before I knew it I was getting the crowbar and more.  I got the wall apart and much to my surprise, nothing was there.  I had to take a fresh air break at that point. 

I was talking with Richard, the caretaker from Camp Huntington, and he said that he would take a look.  So I brought the ladder up to check out the drop ceiling one more time to see if I missed anything last time, of course I could not be that lucky.  Richard started looking around and could not see anything at first either.  The only place left to look was the floor (it is a second story apartment).  The way that the walls are set up, it allowed us to look through the floor joists.  Richard said, “I think there might be something here.”  I took a look, flies; hundreds of flies on insulation…still no critter.  We both thought that is where the foul odor was coming from.  I thanked Richard and he left. 

During another fresh air break, I contemplated what would be the best way to get close to the infected area.  Was it better to cut into the wood floor and lift the “thing” out of there or would it be better to cut into the sheet rocked ceiling in the office.  The office does not smell…they would both be fairly easy to repair oh, the dilemma.

I chose to cut the floor; it is where the couch sits anyway, right?  I carefully chose a spot to begin cutting.  I got through the floor and then realized the sub floor would have to be cut too.  I began to have visions of the movie the Money Pit…I continued to cut anyway.  The smell had died down a bit, no pun intended.  Humm, was it the right spot.  Donned in gloves and a mask I carefully set up a system to remove the “thing” and surrounding insulation.  The flies were active, I must have been close.  As I started to remove insulation the flies got thicker.  Still could not see anything though. 

The next handful revealed the “thing”…its sharp teeth were clenched tight and its body rigid.  I am willing to bet by now you have guessed what it was…that damn raccoon!  It was a few more boards away.  I tried to get to it by using various tools; it just did not want to move.  Because all I could see initially was the head I thought it must have been a big daddy not to move easily.  I decided the best thing to do was to cut more boards.  I hated to, but I needed to get it out and fast.  I removed the boards and was able to use a pitch fork to move it into its new plastic coffin. 

I bleached the area and that is as detailed as I will get about that.  I plan to leave the area open for a few days to air out and I will continue to bleach.  Disgusted at what I found, but glad that I decided not to leave it. It would have been really rank as the weather continues to warm.

Did the raccoon get turned around? Could it not remember how it got there?  Or was it just looking for a place to die?  I guess the RV antifreeze fluid label is correct, “harmful to animals”.  I am still trying to figure out who had the last laugh, me or the raccoon…