Night visitors can't have been reindeer

Last night, two four-footed visitors crept along beside the house, climbed the steps and crossed the deck.

I deduced this from the telltale tracks in the snow. Could the visitors have been Santa's reindeer, out on a practice run? Maybe Donner and Blitzen got separated from the others.

Then again, could those tracks belong to Rudolph. He's always out in front. Two sets of tracks: who was with him?

No, I decided, too small to belong to Santa's team of heavy haulers. Besides, it's a bit early for them to come around.

On taking a closer look, I decided the tracks must have been left by a pair of raccoons.