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December 25, 1997 - A Christmas AdventureDecember 25, 1997 • The Suffolk Times • 5A A Christmas Adventure For years my home was in a big, old, hollow oak tree. Everything was going along just fine until one day somebody with a noisy chainsaw came by and cut my tree down for firewood. When it came crashing down with me inside it, I tumbled out, a bit bruised up, and I was really mad. After that scary experi- ence, I figured I'd better find a home that no one could cut down. After searching for quite a while, I finally found a big, old chimney on someone's house that made the perfect home. The nice part of this new hiding place was that it was in a neighborhood with lots of high -class garbage cans that I could raid. There are some very good meals hidden among those papers, bottles and cans. Of course, there was usually a lot of digging around to find the tasty tid- bits, but I didn't mind. First I'd trip the garbage pail over and then spread the stuff around. Sooner or later I'd find something good to eat. Then one day when I was in my new chimney home, I heard the darnedest sounds below me in the fireplace. Papers were being crumpled up and it sounded like wood was being put on the fire grate. Then all of a sudden, I smelled smoke. Well, you know I can't stand smoke; even the whiff of a person's cigarette throws me into a dither. Sure enough, some- one was starting a fire just below my new home. This was too much. First they cut down my hollow tree house, and now they're setting a fire in my new brick home. I'm leaving this place and heading for the woods far away from everyone. Lucky I got out of there because I'd already started to sneeze, what with all that smoke filling up my bed- room. For days I wandered through the woods, happily eating berries and an occasional mushroom. It was great to be among the trees with all those other animals I'd forgotten about. I did miss those luscious garbage cans with their free meals, but I'd manage. It was starting to get cold and a snowflake or two told me it must be getting close to Christmas. I'd have to find a new home pretty fast if I wanted to be ready for Santa. A children's Christmas story by Ricky Raccoon about what was in that lunchbox. I had to give it a try. So I sneaked up behind a fallen Christmas tree and ever so gently worked my way over to where the lunchbox was. I can get into anything, you know, so I quietly opened up the lunchbox and picked out the biggest jelly donut you ever saw. Just as I was thinking everything was going along fine, that big black dog spotted me and came running full -tilt after me. I didn't know where to go. There were no big trees to climb and the small Christmas trees weren't much help either. I looked around and saw nothing but the truck loaded with bundled trees. If I was quick enough, I'd be able to scramble up there where gloves and hats on like I remembered back home. I finally figured it out. The truck I had jumped on to get away from the big dog must be heading to Florida to deliver ChristmN trees. I was start- ing to sweat, it was so hot. I'd have to get out from under those trees so I climbed up on top. We whizzed along with the wind blowing through my fur. It was a delightful feel- ing. People waved at me as I stood atop the Christmas trees. I waved back. It was like being Santa Claus himself. We kept going on, even though it was getting darker. Christmas lights were strung up along the houses and some of the lights were strung on the funniest kinds of trees. Their tops were Focus on Mature by Paul Stoutenburgh mothers to shop for Father and Grandpa and Grandma and their friends. Some would even buy one of the Christmas trees we'd brought down. At each stop the pile of trees on the truck was getting smaller and smaller. Pretty soon I'd be found out so I decided I'd better look for a chance to jump off. It came at the next stop when the driver went inside to collect his money. I climbed down, looked around and found myself in a strange new world. The oak trees had little leaves that were still on even though it was winter. Those palm trees were everywhere and there were plants with sharp prickly edges. There were big white birds walking around, and lots of eagle -like birds soaring overhead. Once I even saw this long, black animal with a huge mouth and lots of teeth near the water. I'd keep away from him for sure, but all that didn't matter now. It was getting dark and I was very hungry. One thing hadn't changed down here and that was garbage pails. I could find one of them anywhere even if all the homes seemed to look alike. I tipped one over and found some good pick- ing on leftover chicken wings and half an old peanut butter sandwich. I was still hungry so I kept looking around till my nose picked up the smell coming from one of those small homes on wheels. I think they call them campers. I went up to a door that was open and peeked through the screen. There were two people there eating dinner at the table. The lady saw me and got up to take my pic- Suffolk Times photo by Barbara Stoutenburgh RICKY RACCOON — There's no one quite as clever as a raccoon at getting into garbage pails, but once when I couldn't find a thing to eat, I stopped by and begged for a handout. Lunchbox Good Picking Then one day I came to a place where these beautiful green trees were growing. They smelled so good. I could hear men's voices up ahead and where there are people there is usually food, so I thought it might be worth- while checking it out. When I got there I could see the men were cutting trees and bundling them up as Christmas trees and loading them on a big truck. The only trouble was there was this big black dog there. I spotted a lunchbox sitting on a stump near the truck, but I was afraid if I headed for it the dog would see me. I was getting hungrier by the minute just thinking I'd be safe. So with the big jelly donut in my mouth, I made a quick dash to the truck. Phew! That was a close one! I found a spot where I could hide, and sat there eating my jelly donut while the big black dog circled 'round and 'round the truck. Then, content and sleepy, I took a nap among the sweet - smelling Christmas trees. The next thing I knew, that truck was bumping along an old dirt road that eventually led to a nice, smooth high- way. I looked out and everything was going so fast — cars, trucks, buses — all whizzing by. Surely I couldn't get off now, so I just curled up and went back to sleep. I must have slept for an awfully long time, for when I woke the temperature was warmer and there were green leaves on the trees. How could this be? Back in the forest there were snow flurries and now it was warm and the grass and trees were green. I was confused and a bit lonely. Everything was different, even the li- cense plates on the cars, and people were walking around in light shirts and shorts. No one had heavy coats and like the top of a huge pineapple. I think they call them palm trees. At nighttime it reminded me of Christmas back home with all the colored lights shining brightly. By now, with all that wind and waving, I'd gotten tired and the night had gotten cooler, so I crawled back among the Christmas trees and once again fell fast asleep. Delivering Trees to Florida I slept so well I didn't even notice the truck had stopped and the sun was shining bright and warm. Men were unloading bundles of trees off the end of the truck. Luckily I was up front hid- den among the trees there. Another man was undoing the bundles and putting price tags on the trees: "$20- $20.95." That's less than the trees sell for back home where they were cut. How could that be? Then the driver of the truck climbed in the cab and we were off again. As we drove along I could see everyone was shopping for Christ - mas; boys and girls would go off with their ture. You know, this place might be okay for a change, but give me the good old- fashioned kind of Christmas I remember where it's cold outside and it might even snow so kids can make snowmen and go sleigh rid- ing and people can gather around a Christmas tree and sing carols. Me, I'm looking for the next truck heading north. Hope I can make it in time for Christmas. If you should happen to look outside this Christmas and see a nosy raccoon in your back yard sniff- ing around your garbage pail, it will probably be me back home where I belong. Merry Christmas!