Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Scary, Scary Night

It happened a couple of nights ago.  A hissing and bumping outside my bedroom wall of windows.  The sound went on from about 11:30AM until about 2:30AM.  Intermittently.  Of course it woke me up each time.

Finally I got my courage up to get the flashlight and look out the window.  Hoping and keeping my fingers crossed that I did not see two beady eyes, but whatever it is that is making this horrific sound.

I saw nothing.  I looked and looked.  Very disconcerting.  No, I did NOT go out there.

At least the time I had to kill the BIG scorpion in the bathroom, I found it, killed it and that was that.
Not this time.

In the morning I looked for signs of any activity.  Was the fern mashed down?  Were the many flowers eaten?  Were the cushions on the chaise wrinkled.  Nada.

Then I began to hope that whatever it was would not return.  It HAD been here once before, maybe a year ago or so.  But, just for one night.

Not so lucky this time.  Two more times the darn thing has been here.  Each morning I try to figure out where it is when it is here and, of course, what the heck is it?

I've resorted to looking at You Tube videos of animals making sounds when threatened.  My son thinks it is a possum, which at one point there was one in the garden.  I couldn't find a possum video where they were making noises.

Let me describe it.  A growling, throaty, hissing sound.  Nothing like I have ever heard before except for the time "it"was here before.

Yesterday I saw the little black squirrel scurrying through the garden.  The thought crossed my mind, "Could a little squirrel like that make that loud noise?"  Can you tell this has me REALLY perplexed.  I've also thought about the large lizard on the roof.  The coatamundi that fell in the fireplace years ago.  The skunk that goes ambling down the road from time to time out of the canyon.  And, again I say, "What the heck is it?"

Each time I've turned the outside overhead light on, it gets quiet.  You ask why don't I sleep with that light on?  Well, because it lights up my bedroom as though it is daylight.  And, yes the drapes are closed.

That first night it was here, it thrashed around and made so much noise before I went to bed, that I actually went upstairs to see if some people were out on the road cutting the weeds down or something.  It could have been a very large animal with all the noise it made. Like an elephant for goodness sake.

And, that leads to the question, "How the heck does it get in here?"  There are very high walls.  There is chain link on the wall that faces the road to the canyon.  To say that the house is fortified like Fort Knox is  an understatement.

The latest thing I've done in my scientific attempt to determine what it is will make you laugh.  I have folded two beach towels and laid them on the seat of an outdoor chair by the window.  Very comfy.  My thought is it might jump up there and get comfortable, I would open the curtains and see it and finally know what it is.
Each morning I look out to see if the towels have been moved around or anything.  So far, nothing.

Help!  Any ideas?  It obviously, well I think so anyway, is nocturnal.  Your guess is as good as mine..........

22 comments:

sparks_mex said...

Cat Angry Growl Hiss Sound Effect

https://youtu.be/LYQMIKfaH_k

Calypso said...

Maybe someone is letting their pig roam at night?

La Tejedora said...

It's jumping a high fence, right? Puma or mountain lion? Even though we're not supposed to have them in Georgia, I saw a very large cat about the size of a mountain lion jump out of my creek with a newborn deer in its mouth. Sorry to be so graphic, but it made some large wild cat come to mind.

Don said...

Zombies of course!

Joan said...

Raccoon? Waking up to this would seriously freak me out!
Could someone at the Charco give you some ideas, or a neighbor?

Babs said...

Oh good gosh, everyone, zombies, raccoons, pumas or a mountain lion! Well, I've had raccoons in my house and they never made a sound. Zombies, hmmm, a possibility. A mountain lion or puma is doubtful and pigs, doubtful as well. I'm in the city proper and have never seen a four legged pig here.........

As far as the cat, Sparks, I could not get the website address to work. I tried three times. That is possible, but since I"ve hear cats for the last 11 years hissing and fighting with Velcro, I can truthfully say this sound is much, much more upsetting and frightening then any cat I've ever heard.........

Thanks for all the great ideas. Keep them coming. Sooner or later, the mystery. hopefully will be solved.

crynoutloud said...

My guess is an owl. I think they hiss and growl. One day on vacation in ajijic talking to my neighbor about the movie harry poter that had been on tv the previous night. A couple hours after i went to bed there was a crash on the table outside. Screeching and growling too. It didn't take long to figure it was an owl that i had seen on a roof close by. More than a coincidence.

Babs said...

Wow, crynoutloud (love your moniker). I had never thought of an owl. Have never seen one here, but that doesn't mean there aren't any here, I guess. I have a bird book for San Miguel and they don't show any in this area.........but who knows?

Thanks for the suggestion. Do you live in Ajijic?

Anonymous said...

Here's what I have at my house.... an outside light hooked up to a motion detector (and a bell....optional)... a cat has set it off a couple of times but hasn't returned. Also I leave it on when I know I'm going away from the house for more than an hour or so. O have a secretly placed cut off switch to cut it off so I want set it off when I'm in range. It has a sensitivity control and a timer (I put it at ten seconds, I figure thats enough to scare away a burglar or animal).
My total cost ran me about 500 pesos. Got everything I needed at a hardware store, paid an electrician $150 pesos to install it. Good luck with getting rid of the Chupacabras.

Unknown said...

Perhaps you could have Sebastian come over with his monster-hunting gear and take care of it for you.

Unknown said...

Hope you figure out what it is soon! Our leaves from a tree outside our bedroom window are falling onto the rocks, several times in the day I have jumped out of my skin thinking someone is sneaking up behind me in the garden.

Babs said...

Thanks Mexicomystic for all the info. I have thought about a motion sensor device, but since this side of the house is on a road, I believe I would have it going off all the time. Believe it or not, ever since I wrote the post, nothing or no one has been out there!

Babs said...

Janet - A GREAT idea. His monster-hunting gear is just what is needed! Ha.


Shelagh - Man, those must be big leaves if you can hear them falling on the rocks.
What kind of trees? I bet it is beautiful........

Unknown said...

A big maple with huge purple leaves. The leaves curl up drying before they fall, hence the crunch when hitting the rocks. During the night Peter thinks he hears someone on walking on the rocks.
Enjoying the last bit of warm weather here in Vancouver.

Babs said...

Sounds lovely.........

crynoutloud said...

Thank you for liking my crynoutloud. My father hollered it often when i was a kid, when he couldn't swear. I still like my owl guess and i am sure there are many around the mountains in san Miguel. I live in chicago but spent a couple months in ajijic one year and then a couple in maleque one year. Loved it. Hope to be back this winter. The harry potter owl story is true. And the conversation naturally came up because the ajijic neighbor was from england. Talking harry potter and then an owl on the front porch that night was one of those unexplainable coincidences.

MaryAnnHT said...

I think it might be a raccoon. Although they normally don't sound like that which you described, I have heard them make a growly, throaty sound. Alternate thought....maybe a bobcat?

Anonymous said...

It must be the ghost of Velcro, doing her best to get back in the house.

Day of the Dead is coming up. Put up an altar for Velcro, complete with her favorite treats, and the problem should resolve itself.

Saludos,

Kim G
Boston, MA
Where, over the years, our yard has become a bit of a pet cemetery.

Unknown said...

We have owls behind our house that make some pretty strange noises at night.

Babs said...

Crynoutloud, that is what made me notice your name. MY Dad used to say the same thing, frequently AND my Grandmother. Both were from Chicago, where I was born and lived til I was 10. At that time my parents discovered there was somewhere else to live without much snow, Shreveport, La.!

I still have TONS of relatives in the Chicago area and used to come every year for the restaurant show........Great city, at some times of the year, not winter.

I'll let you know if I EVER see an owl. In the meantime, YOU enjoy all the great restaurants in Chicago.........

Ifyou ever get to SMA, let me know, but I'm NEVER here in the winter! Too cold.

Babs said...

Thanks MaryannHT, a raccoon. Ah yes, I have had dealings with them in the past, but no in San Miguel. I'll keep my eyes open...hopefully NOT a bobcat.

Kim, that's it. Except this same sound happened once when Velcro was still among the living. Luckily, she was in the house with me. She was a teeny, tiny cat and whatever that thing out there is, it does NOT sound teeny or tiny.

I do indeed intend to make an altar for Day of the Dead. I've lost so many friends in the past year, along with Velcro that it might be several altars!

I have no animals, that I know of, buried in my yard. Flash's ashes were taken to the Blanco River in Wimberley, Texas and with Velcro, I just couldn't do it, anything, and asked the vet to take care of her.........

Babs said...

Thanks Fred, another vote for an owl. Oh my!