Adventure #5: The Hotel In The Woods

I stayed at a small-town hotel tucked far enough into the woods to feel peaceful… or slightly cinematic depending on the lighting. Morning fog drifted over the parking lot. The hallways had that hush where you half expect a narrator. The photos onåç the walls followed you with their eyes like they were waiting to see what you’d do next.
I assumed the raccoon wouldn’t track me there.
Naturally, that optimism aged like cheap milk.
On my way to the ice machine, glowing eyes peeked around the vending machine — the same soggy raccoon, apparently promoted from forest surveillance to hotel security.
Later, I checked the bathroom like I was clearing a crime scene — behind the shower curtain, in corners, behind the shampoo bottle — just in case the hunt decided to move indoors.
And yes, I searched the hotel exactly the way I search the forest:
behind curtains, under the bed, behind the vending machine, that suspicious lobby corner, and even behind the coffee maker.
Everywhere right. Everywhere wrong. Everywhere in between.
Still loving it.
Meanwhile the raccoon stood there… damp, entertained, and deeply unimpressed — as if thinking,
“The mini-fridge? Really.”
So that was my year: lightning, bees, mysterious box sightings, imaginary wolves, a dog who resigned emotionally, questionable search tactics, and one raccoon who has clearly taken charge of quality control.
And yes — I’m still on the hunt.
Because every bit of this chaos has been nothing but joyful.
TO BE CONTINUED....