Heidi Chronicles: Long Live The Queen!

We get NatGeo in our DirecTV package, so probably get the Science channel also; forgot to check last night.

Interesting that snakes in your area hunt after dark; makes sense given the high heat, but certainly unusual.

Ruth,

If you get NatGeo, which is always in the pkg upgrades, then you get Sci. If you like NatGeo, which seems to have become my fav channel, Dish recently added NatGW (NatGeo Wild) which shows wildlife shows all day (except in the wee hours when they have the paid programming). I had DirecTV for many years. I think they will probably always be my favorite. Their customer service blows Dish away. I switched a yr or so ago for a special offer and to try out the competition. The only 2 things I do like about Dish which DirectTV didn't have when I was there are: (1) Dish has a single receiver with built in dvr that works for 2 TVs/rooms. Each TV can view different things at the same time or 1 TV can view 2 things using picture in picture (even if not supported by your TV). Because it is only 1 receiver, there is no $5 monthly fee for the second room. You can record one thing while watching another. Anything recorded on either tv is available for viewing on both tv's
(2) Dish has a number of academic channels including a research channel that is on a post grad level. They have a channel dedicated to airing classes at Stanford, another for Univ of Washington. There are 4 or 5 of these college and university channels in all. For each course they air all classes in the series. Classes cover a variety of topics: science, computer science, engineering, psychology, history, and many more.

Except for those 2 things which were not available from DirctTV at the time I switched, I would prefer DirecTV.

As to the idea of snakes being out at night in areas where daytime temps are very hot, I actually 1st got that information form one of the many nature shows I watch. They were specifically talking about pit vipers of N America. When I heard this, it was an "aha" moment for me since I had actually witnessed this happening - and have continued to see it since.

In winter - yes, unfortunately, I have learned that snakes will come out for a snack on warm days in winter here - and in very early spring (Feb, Mar), I usually see a snake or two in my garden. Later as the temps increase, I stop seeing them in daytime but, regrettably, have seen them on far too many occasions while heading to and from the buffet at night. My dear friend Mr Copperhead, who I haven't seen since I quit feeding the birds (for this reason), was quite fond of hanging around the patio door. In cooler weather he could be seen in daytime. In the heat of summer, he would often greet me at the patio door when I returned from feeding the raccoons. Rats were attracted to the birdseed and this in turn attracted Mr Copperhead to the garden. Eeeek! Although he came to prowl about for rats, when I turned the patio light on and went out to the buffet, he would take advantage of the opportunity to wait by the door for the toad who often showed up to catch insects attracted to the light. Since Mr Copperhead would never run away like most snakes, and as I did not take my house keys with me and thus had no choice but to go back in the same door I came out of, I walked beside Mr Copperhead to get back in the house on far more occasions than I wish to think about.

So I had actually seen snakes at night when going to/from the buffet in summer. The info I got from the nature show only explained what I had already observed many times. The very same snake, the Copperhead, could be seen in daytime in early spring and then reverted to evenings as our temps heated up.

Thankfully, I've not seen the copperhead since I trapped the rats and stopped feeding the birds and thus eliminating the source of his food. Still, I always keep a close eye out for him. This is why I take the flashlight out with me to/from the buffet and wear knee high rubber boots. Although the boots are not snake proof, experts say anything which might divert a fang might save you. It is also why, aside from the cuteness factor and the 'no-waiting' aspect, I like to wait for the raccoons to come to the patio to get me. I figure no self respecting snake will be likely to hang around on the patio with all those raccoons. Thus I am also more comfortable when escorted to the buffet by a band of raccoons. (The raccoons killed a green snake out there while waiting for me one night. I like the 'good' snakes but am comforted in the knowledge that raccoons do not appear to like any snakes.)

Kitty and Cocoa provide a mixed blessing for this sort of thing. Twice now I have seen them chase a garter snake from the garden. And they don't give up on the chase until the snake head under the gate and into the forest. Once it was a tag team effort between Cocoa and Kitty. Another time it was Kitty alone. That time I learned that when Kitty is on the trail of a snake it is best to stay way clear of the area for she may well send the snake scurrying right for you in its effort to get away from you - on one such occasion I learned just how fast I can run with arthritic knees and a back injury, but then the body makes some fabulous steroids for just this sort of occasion. I mention that this is a mixed blessing for several reason. I like the 'good' snakes, but the cats are determined to rid the yard of all snakes. More importantly, I fear what may happen when/if the cats ever meet up with Mr Copperhead who is not one to run and who is unlikely to appreciate their harassment.

But, yes, both according to the experts and from my own observation, snakes do switch to traveling at night when daytime temperatures exceed their comfort zone. Just as they are unable to regulate their body temp to stay warm when it is cold out, they are equally unable to cool themselves when temps soar. In the heat of a southern summer, snakes are vulnerable to having their internal temps rise dangerously high resulting in the snake version of heat stroke.

Late yesterday afternoon, I remembered Heidi's preference for eating early. I made several trips to the patio door between 7:30 and 8:30 to check for her. I was surprised that I never saw any sign of her out there. Then a few minutes after my last check, Widget barked. Widget knows he isn't supposed to bark for the fun of it. His barking always indicates the presence of some animal (not the cats) on the patio or around the front door. He's quite the useful beacon for this sort of thing.

Knowing that Widget's bark almost certainly heralded the presence of Heidi at the back door, I went back to check fully expecting to see her standing there nose pressed against the glass waiting for me; but once again the patio was bare and there was no sign of Heidi or any other creature.

Hmm. I scratched my head. It was definitely time for Heidi to be here, and Widget is never wrong about these things. Yet, clearly, there was no raccoon at the door. Still, having great faith in Widget's powers of observation, I put my own face up against the inside of the glass and proceeded to look as far as possible on either side of the door.

Oh, but I so need one of those camera you carry with you everywhere for what I saw when I broadened the scope of my search this way was nothing short of adorable and hilarious all at the same time. There nestled in a large trug just beside the door was none other than Ms Heidi. I have no idea what she was doing in there. Resting I guess and possibly making herself less visible to any dangerous critters that might happen by. Still she was too cute snuggled up there in the 'basket'.

If you are not familiar with trugs, they are bucket like containers made from a very strong rubber. They come in various sizes. This was the large size. They also come in a litany of beautiful, vibrant colors. While I have a lovely purple one, this one was black such that it looked like it might have been the product of recycled car tires. It was the perfect size for Heidi to curl up in with enough room to be comfy and the perfect color to make her seem invisible. Being the lazy sort, I had left beside the back door one day when I returned from gardening.

Once Heidi became aware of my presence, she quickly hopped out of the trug to let me know that she was there and ready to eat. Still, it had been one heck of a Kodak moment. I'm thinking she may have been in that trug resting earlier when I walked by the door from some 20ft or more away and looked out checking for her but expecting to see her standing at the door.

There is no doubt that Heidi switches her feeding time to dusk or slightly before and that she specifically does this immediately after her kits are born each year and continues until the get old enough to come to the buffet and begin to take care of themselves a bit. That's a definite. My theory as to why, however, is just a theory. Maybe it has nothing at all to do with fear of something happening to the kits while she is away. An alternate and quite plausible theory occurred to me yesterday. I present it below for your consideration.

At no other time in the life of a female of childbearing age is she as insanely hungry as when breast feeding, especially if she is breast feeding a gang of 3-5 young ones. It may just be that once the kits are born and for the duration of the time she is breast feeding them, Heidi is just too hungry to wait until 10PM to eat. She probably wakes up in late afternoon going, "WHERE IS MY DINNER?!!!"

Fierce hunger brought on by nursing and the desire to eat the minute she wakes up, may account for Heidi's consistent change in schedule every time she berths a litter and may explain why she continues this behavior of insisting on eating early from the day she returns from giving birth until the kits are old enough to come to the buffet and begin to defend themselves a bit - as the latter just happens to coincide with the time at which the kits are old enough to begin eating solid food.

Here are the trugs, except that I got my 1st one, the one Heidi was resting in, back when they only came in black: http://www.gardeners.com/Colorful-Garden-Tub/GardenersEssentials_Cat,35-592,default,cp.html

Edited to remove this post in its entirety because, oops, it was cat specific. I had fully intended to put it in the pet's forum, but made a mistake. After all these years, my fingers navigate to the Heidi threads all on their own. LOL.

For any who wish to see it, the post has been moved to the Kitty &Cocoa thread in Pets where it was intended all along.

This message was edited May 11, 2010 1:44 PM

Our nursing moms come to dinner early, too. We have to fill the dishes a couple of times to make sure they, their kitty cousins, and now, the teenage possum, all get their fill!

Here is a pic of that trug by the door, the one Heidi was in the other night. Like I said, I wish I had had a camera in hand as the pic of her curled up in the trug would have been priceless.

KyWoods,

I'm still enjoying the idea of your "teenage opossum". : )

You should keep the trug out there and see if she'll do it again!

It looks like a perfectly safe place to hide out and wait for you, comfy too. I can just 'see' her curled up in there.

LOL.... Heidi was probably thinking this is the best rest she had all day. She hiding and no kits tryign to get some milk. : )

I can see where your observation could be right. Who knows how many time s a day she feeds them and sure it take s a lot of food to keep them babies well feed and quiet.

LOL, yep, you're probably right, starlight, she was hiding from the children! I can imagine her peeking out over the top, making sure they were busy wrestling as she grabbed a much-needed nap.

Cheryl, DirecTV doesn't yet have NatGeo Wild; I'm hoping they'll soon add that channel to my package. Too cute about Heidi and the trug!

Ruth,

NatGeo is still my favorite, but I thought you might like the 24/7 Wildlife from NatGeo. I've probably only had that channel for maybe 2wks, so maybe you will be getting it soon, too.

It was quite cute to see Heidi in the trug like that and to see her sit upright, look at me over the top, and then hop out. I really have no idea what she was doing in there, and I've not seen her in there since, although considering I'm not back there watching it all afternoon, she could be napping in it regularly for all I know.

Maybe she was checking it out for her 'nest', testing it the way we sit on sofas and lie on beds at the furniture store - to see if she liked it enough to steal it and drag it home with her (like all my other stuff).

Very late this afternoon (Thursday afternoon), I went to the patio door to let Widget out. It was probably 6:30-7 and still quite light out. Imagine my surprise to find Heidi wandering around the patio. She looked even more surprised to see me as I never come out at that time to feed her, not this year anyhow. She scampered over to the patio door doing a double take as I opened it to look at her, her body language saying, "OMG, is that really you? Yippee, can I eat now? Can I?"

So I told Widget he would have to wait a few more minutes. I grabbed my bag and went out to feed her. I didn't stay as I still needed to take Widget out, except now he would need to go out to the street.

Lately, since the birth of those kits, it seems there is no limit to how early Heidi would like to have her dinner. At this rate I'll soon be feeding her 1st thing each morning along with the cats.

You are just too funny!
I wonder if Heidi might be there at times in the morning?
I can't remember how long it usually is before she brings the little tykes to the diner? About 4 weeks maybe? Oh how I would love to see a video of them when they start coming around! Heidi is such a good Mom! Did she get anything special for Mothers day? perhaps an extra frosting cookie or egg.

LOL at the image of Heidi trying to carry off a trug that's bigger than she is, and somewhat soft and malleable. Let's hope she doesn't try that one, though it would no doubt make a good tree hammock.

Last night I didn't feed the raccoons. I was feeling very nauseous and lying down in hopes of keeping things from getting worse.

Late this afternoon, I decided to feed Heidi early if she came by. I was working in the kitchen so that I could keep an eye out for her. Kitty came to the back door to announce that she wanted to go out. I let her out.

Time went by. No sign of Heidi or any of the raccoons. It was almost dusk now, later than when Heidi had come by before. I turned on the patio light to let the raccoons know I was open for business. I waited and waited and waited. Still no raccoons.

Now it was black dark out. Heidi should have come by before this. How odd. I walked over to the door to look around the patio, just to be sure I hadn't missed someone out there somewhere. And would you like to guess what I saw...?

Kitty.

Yes, Kitty was sprawled out lying on her side in the middle of the section of patio in front of the door. How strange. I had never seen her do that before. I wondered, "Could she possibly be lying there like a guard 'dog' to keep the raccoons away from the door?" She had seen them at the door before from the inside. She knew they came here every night. Was this her latest plan to keep them away? Had she insisted on going out for this very reason? Seeing me in the kitchen and keeping a watch at the patio door this time of day, had she realized I was waiting for them? Was she the reason none had come to the door so far?

I went back to work. A few short minutes later, I heard Kitty growling. I looked out but didn't see anything, just Kitty lying there on the patio growling. "Heidi?", I said. No response. I went back inside.

There it was again, the growling, only louder now and longer. I went to the door and tried to get Kitty to come inside, but she would not budge. I looked around the patio again, this time scrutinizing the area where Kitty was looking as she growled. There amidst the foliage was a raccoon face, a yearling hiding in a large flower pot on the far side of the patio, held back from the door by a cat, a very determined cat, I might add.

I thought for a minute what to do to diffuse the situation. As Kitty refused to come inside and I knew the raccoons weren't likely to leave, I decided to grab my boots and bag and head out to feed them. There were only two of them, the Lt and one other. Both stood to my left to eat. After I had given them their food, my eyes scanned the area, unconsciously keeping an eye on what was around me. There to my right about 10 ft away in the edge of the nearest flower bed I was surprised to see Kitty lying there quietly just keeping an eye on things.

She is something else, isn't she? She is determined to watch over me one way or the other. After a little while, I put out some more food for the inevitable stragglers who were bound to show up eventually and headed back to the house. This time Kitty was happy to come inside with me. Here work outside was done.

I was so impressed with Kitty's concern for my welfare and determination to watch over me that once inside I got out the can of cat food and gave her the rest of it as a bonus. I gather she appreciated my generosity as she is now resting in her bed at the foot of my bed.

The other night, I was watching the 'kitties and coonies' eating together, and suddenly, a kitty reached out and smacked a coon right in the snout! The poor thing backed off, then slowly sneaked back up, stretched her 'arms' way out and slyly gathered a handful of kibble, drew it back and ate it, and kept repeating that, lol. I felt sorry for him!

Just FYI, Monday's Sci-Trek on the Science Channel is "What Animals Build; Animals Construct Engineering Marvels". It's on 9-10PM and again (same show) 12-1AM.

Ruth,

Based on some of the other things the raccoons have tried to carry off in the past, I'm guessing there is a good chance the handles of the trug would get hung up on the fence post forcing her to abandon it. The fence, due to its design and material is not a good place for raccoons to display their incredible handy work and ability to do almost anything with their hands.

I do like the image of Heidi napping in that trug hammock stretched between two branches, one leg draped casually over the edge, decked out in sunglasses, a parasol-ed drink in one hand.

Thought I'd share a typical scene at our back door. Just five minutes ago, I went outside with some soft dog treats that my dog doesn't like, and was handing them out to the kitties. They just sniffed them and walked away. Surprisingly, a coon did the same--I kept calling out to her as I sat there and she was about six feet away. She eventually came over, sniffed the treat, then turned and walked away. Drat! Next time, I'll bring out some nice, stinky sardines. But then, she'll have to brave the kitty crowd.

This message was edited May 17, 2010 7:01 PM

Nice looking group you got there, KyWoods.

Looks like you have your own buffet going. I'm always quite surprised at how well your cats and raccoons eat together like family. It's a shame my group can't get along like that. Maybe someday.

KY -- didnt your group grow up together as kits??
Maybe that is the difference.

I have not seen my raccoon since i've been up here. I've put out a dish of cat food and a lil bowl of water. no show last night, and so far nothing yet.

when i was up last week, he/she was at the feeder at about 9pm.

Yep, they grew up together--they're 'cousins', lol.

Great photo, KyWoods!

My little one must have come in the early hours this morning... i was up at 2.30ish and no sign, but at 7, the lil bucket was moved, and the squirrels couldnt do that. there was one lil kibble in the water bowl. most the food was eaten, about a 1/4c left.

Hi Terese,

Glad to hear that your little raccoon seems to be coming back around now. I hope you will get the chance to see her soon.

I recall one spring when I was eagerly awaiting the return of Heidi and the gang and my very 1st sign that they were back came in the form of a very distinctive and well formed paw print in the morning dew on one of the Adirondack chairs. Seeing that I knew that it had been made shortly before I arrived to see it, probably around dawn and that it definitely meant the raccoons were back. So excited was I by the print that I photographed it and posted it for all to see (that year). Very soon after that the raccoons showed up at the buffet. Although that was perhaps the most dramatic such sign, I've seen signs before and since that indicate the raccoons often make one last trek through my yard in the mornings near dawn when they are looking for that last snack before retiring to a tree somewhere to sleep for the day.

I can't recall, BTW. Did you ever name this little one?

I did... but can't be sure it's the same one... i was calling her Cleo.

Terese,

Oh, yes, Cleo. Of course. Now I remember. (Sorry, but sometimes I even have difficulty recalling my raccoons' names.) My guess is that if Cleo is still around, she would remember that she found food at your place last year and would come back. For that reason, I think it probably is Cleo.

Like my bunch, she probably has a basic route she takes each night (varying around that route depending on what's available at a given time, of course). Since good food is sometimes found at your place, I would think your place is on Cleo's route.

She may look different now though, especially if she was a yearling when you met her. Unless you have strong suspicions to the contrary, I suspect it is Cleo.

Congrats either way.

Tonight - and it was night before I got out there - tonight, as Heidi walked around my legs as I was just reaching my seat at the buffet, I felt her cold, wet nose touch my leg just above the top of my boot. It was a really nice feeling, and, yes, her nose actually was cool and wet much like that of a dog. Most of the time I wear long pants out there. Tonight I was wearing shorts which left my legs bare above the rubber boots.

This opportunity to get close to my skin seemed more than Heidi could pass up. In the past 2 years she has become amazingly comfortable around me, and touching her nose to my leg was just one more way to demonstrate it.

As further sign of how comfortable Heidi has become...
Tonight (as usual) I was sitting with my green bag of goodies on the ground between my legs. Heidi's nose was an estimated 8-10 inches from the bag and thus very close to me if you think about it. I leaned forward to rifle through the bag in search of my bug spray. This caused my head and shoulders to move toward her in a manner that would have made her uncomfortable just a few years earlier as would the sound and movement as I rifled around in the bag trying to find the bug spray in the dark. In the past, these things would have made her uncomfortable enough to back away. Tonight, however, as has been the case all along this season, Heidi continued eating w/o even batting an eye and w/o so much as lifting her nose to check out the situation. She just went on eating as though I weren't even there.

In fact, my continued search for the bug spray ultimately caused a yearling who was 3 or 4 times farther away to get uncomfortable and back away from her food. As I tried to call the yearling back and reassure her that all was ok, I pointed to Heidi still eating calmly there in front of me and said, "Do you see Heidi looking worried?"

The nose on the leg thing was the highlight of the buffet visit though.

Too cute: you are no doubt the only human Heidi has ever been able to sniff at close range. And it's remarkable that she's comfortable enough to do so.

that is really neat Cheryl... it's is amazing how a wild creature has become so trusting...

What ever coon came in the middle of the night -- was either VERY hungry, or there was more than one.
All the food i put out was gone and they cleaned out the squirrel feeder -- what they could reach... a good 2 cups of Sunflower seeds. [she'll get chx wings tonight though]

I have to admit though... i do not want to make it a 'buffet'. I dont want this lil creature to feel there will always be food here, because I am not here 6 months out of the year -- and i feel the hardest months, being Oct - Apr.

How very wonderful Cheryl. I remember the thrill of the little raccoon hands gently grabbing grapes from my fingers at Jeckyll Island, Ga.
When we humans are granted the gift of a trusting calm encounter with wildlife we are given a special gift.

While Heidi is in that trug, don't forget to add her a watermelon cooler drink. She has to have something to sip on if she gonna lay there like a lady of leisure. LOL

Sitting her e chuckling to myself. Heidi was probably just checking to see if your legs needed a shave or not. ; ) What kind of soap smell did ya have on your legs? Wonder if she liked the smell. At least the next time if she put s her nos e there or ties and give ya lick to see what ya taste like, it won't freak ya out too bad.

LOL, that's a fun mental image!

My lil one enjoyed chicken wings and some skin... but did not eat the apples. I tossed them to the squirrels... they should eat them.

I am finding when i give her chicken... she doesnt clean out the squirrel feeder.