I’m heading into my semi-vacation mode, as The SandPaper semi-shuts down until early January. For me, the break means time well split between beaches and the outback – camera and metal detector in tow.

Grabbing some of my precious vacay time will be a contentious removal of a clumsy raccoon that has suddenly nested in my stuff-packed attic. Talk about noisy, especially toward daybreak when it returns from a night of racooning and seemingly takes time to do an attic nose-about.