Do you know...

what a screaming raccoon sounds like?  We just found out!  Tony was playing chess with our son on the new Nook Color I got for my birthday (yeah, it's supposed to be mine, hehe) while I was searching for new apps for the Nook when we heard this horrendous screeching outside.  I ran out as fast as I could but didn't grab the flashlight.  My first thought was something was attacking chickens, but when I got outside the few that sleep under the stars seems unruffled so I thought maybe something jumped into the pig pen and was attacking her.  Tony grabbed the light and came out, but went toward the creek from the other side of the goat pen, so I still couldn't see the pig.  He said it was raccoons and could see them up in the giant cottonwood tree by the creek.  We heard splashes from the beaver but it wasn't adding up for me.

Once we confirmed the pig and goats were OK, he tried to scare the 'coons off.  They did run away, but we don't know where.  All I can say is that's an AWFUL sound and if the raccoons are going to fight, they need to do it somewhere else!