Heidi Chronicles: Cookie Time - Won't You Join Us?

This is the ongoing story of Heidi and friends, raccoons and the occasional opossum who frequent my backyard wildlife buffet.

It is once again the end of an era, or at least another season. The kits, most of whom LOVE vanilla sandwich cookies, BTW, are getting older now. I'd say they are probably roughly equal to tweens in human terms, able to do some things on their own but still kids. Soon the kits will be foraging more and more on their own, the groups metabolic needs will decrease as the weather cools, and the buffet will begin shutting down for the season. But for now, things are still in full swing. The kits come over the fence each afternoon and their eyes light up as they run to me for cookies in a manner not at all unlike a bunch of human children. It is for now perhaps the very best part of the season as I am daily surrounded by a large group of sweet, well behaved, excited, happy kits each of whom wants a cookie. It doesn't get much better than that. : )

Prior Thread: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1122920/
Original Thread in Series: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/603944/

The photo below shows one of the kits enjoying a vanilla sandwich cookie, the afternoon treat of champions (or at least of happy kits).

Another pic of kits to 'get this party started right'. In the foreground is Petey. Note how he is semi-reclining, his tummy on the ground, while eating, not unlike a human kid munching while watching TV on the sofa. You can see from this pic that he's very comfortable with me. He's maybe 3ft in front of me yet comfortable enough to have his back to me and to recline. Raccoons quite naturally feel more secure when they are facing you. Those who are even a little concerned about my presence will take care to always orient themselves so that they can see me. Petey is confident enough to ignore me here. Also, when concerned they don't recline preferring to stay alert, upright, and ready to run. Here Petey is clearly not feeling at all threatened.

The other kit is one of the yearlings' kits and is staying near the brush. That one is feeling uneasy. He/she is facing me (and Petey who is also a potential threat since they are from different liters/families), is upright, and is keeping close to the brush in case a quick getaway is needed.

Same scene. This shot comes directly before the one above (hence the reason I show it after. lol).

Yet another in the series. Now come on. Isn't that Petey a darling?

Omg, they are so cute at that age! He sure is darling!

KyWoods,

Yes, the sure are adorable. Kits are just pure magic and miracles. They are adorable to look to watch. You just feel like you simply must touch them. Most of the time I can't do that, but now I can reach out and touch Petey. Petey and I had a nice interaction today. I fed him an animal cookie today. He ate this one for a change. But I can't really explain what was so nice about the exchange. It was one of those things where you just had to be there.

Here is another cute kit pic. I'm not certain, but I think this is the yearling's kit. I just think the pose is cute. For some reason the kits all seem to want to sit at the dish and turn it sideways like that. (Hope I didn't show this one already.)

2 kits arguing. The one front right (might be Petey, not sure) is accosting the one back left. The latter is smaller and has a lower status mom (the yearling). The one up front is being a little bully and is telling the other one that he/she can't use the buffet - even though as you can see there is plenty of space. As you can see from the body language the one back left is feeling intimidated.

Even when intimidated this way, the kits almost always 'dig in' and stay even if only in the back corner. Wherever they end up, I toss them food. Every now and then one might feel too threatened on its 1st day at the buffet and may let the others drive it into the brush. If that happens, I toss food at the edge of the brush near them to coax them to at least come over to the edge. (That's all over now, of course, as all of the kits have been coming to the buffet for a while now and are old enough to stand up for themselves.)

those kits are just so precious.

Hi Terese,

They really are almost too adorable to be real. It's absolutely true. And they are SO loving those cookies! Can you just imagine having a bunch of those little ones all around you? And they are so sweet and well behaved, too. As always they each wait their turn patiently and then reach up so very gently to take a cookie from my hand. Just 10 minutes spent with them can de-stress me and cheer me up on the very worst of days.

Cheryl, of course Kitty likes you. She may not be ready to trust, but there's no question that she likes you; if she didn't, you would never get the chance to touch her, much less have her soliciting your attention on occasion.

Your logic on Heidi's management strategy makes great sense. Animals truly don't think about or plan for the future; they live entirely in the now. Sometimes I envy that...

My Marley is a lot like Kitty.
In just the past few months however, she has begun showing affection and seeking strokes from me. She has even graduated from always sleeping at the foot of the bed to sometimes sleeping behind me (I'm a side sleeper) or an armslength in front of me. She loves to be stroked now and will repeatedly walk back and forth under my outstretched hand. Little by little I will move my hand closer to me and she has even laid across my waist or hips on a few occasions.

Thanks for the adorable kit photos. Petey is so cute with his little butt up in the air like that. Your thoughts of Heidi's plans for handling security at the buffet brought a funny vision to my mind. Can't you just see Heidi returning to her nest after eating, the babies all napping with full stomachs, and she gets out her computer and starts writing out her rules and plans for keeping order? She is one smart old gal.

Susan

Darn~!!! I just finished about 3 paragraphs and then poof!.....they were gone. Wish I could remember the keys to punch when that happens to retrieve my entry.
Got to go now, but will try again later to tell of something special now living in my yard.

~Sheri

Sheri,

I think it's Ctrl-Z. I have trouble remembering it, too. Sometimes I have to test it on another browser window to be sure.

A new special critter will be fun to hear about, Sheri!

yesterday I was in the front yard. There is a Bluebird nest-box on one of the 4x4 upright supports for a swing. I occasionally .check for residents, or debris.
Yesterday, late morning I opened the frond and noted that a new nest had been built. This nest was different than any I'd seen before.
I gently pulled it towards me to peek inside and was met with 2 of the hugest round black eyes I'd ever seen on a head about the size of a walnut. I apologized to the little one and quietly closed the front.
Well he/she stuck its head out of the opening and studied me for a few seconds ( I had backed away about 2 feet), then it came out and went to the back side of the 4x4 where it was flattened up against it totally motionless.
I definitely wanted to see this little guy, so I followed around to the other side and kept my distance (sort of) ,. The flying squirrel was so motionless...I very slowly reached out and up from the bottom (hoping he wouldn't see me). I actually got to touch the lovely flat chocolate brown tail fur.
After this I told him I was leaving and not to be scarred of me. I would never hurt him.
Later in the day I returned to the nest-box and carefully placed 2 almonds. they were gone a couple of hours later when I left for church!
I am so excited to have this new resident in my "wildlife habitat". I hope he stays and see no reason why he would give up such a nice home! Especially if there is a daily almond placed at the entrance!

Sheri

Sheri

Wow, a flying squirrel!! What fun, lucky you--and lucky squirrel, too!

Sheri,

That's great about your new resident. Sounds very cute - although I've only ever seen 'regular' grey squirrels. I hope he/she will stay a while.

I was really surprised that you stuck your hand in there before you could see what was inside, or did I read that wrong? You are braver than me, if you did.

Yesterday as I stepped out the back door to head to the buffet, I heard a 'POW!' and froze for a moment to let the dust settle before turning around to see what had fallen. Behind me on the patio was the [plastic] globe from the patio light fixture. Luckily, it did not break. I picked it up and screwed it back into the fixture all the while wondering how it got loose enough to fall.

The fixture is a globe with a threaded opening that fits over the single bulb and screws into place. The bulb and threads are at the top with the globe hanging down. Thus, if it were unscrewed, the globe would easily fall to the patio floor. However, the threads are sufficient to secure it quite adequately. It has never fallen before, not in 10yrs.

That the globe was perched there waiting to fall at the least provocation could only mean one thing: somebody unscrewed it 99% of the way and left it like that. There are no small kids in my area of the neighborhood who be up to pranks. I hadn't had any visitors in the backyard. And with the backyard fully enclosed with the 6ft privacy fence (plus the forest on the back side), it's really quite secluded. People just don't venture back there. The gate isn't locked, but it sticks such that people always think it is locked (and wait for me to unlock it for them). You have to know the special 'combination' to open the gate.

Bottom line, chances of a human having done this are so slim as to be statistically zero, so that leaves the raccoons. We all know how raccoons LOVE to play with things with their very dexterous hands, don't we. Even when they have no real plan, they just love to fiddle with anything that will move. If it turns, they will turn it. If it bends they will bend it. If it snaps, they will snap it. Etc, etc, etc. A quick look at the setup on the patio showed that the outdoor bakers rack is almost directly under the light fixture on one side. I've long know the raccoons play on that shelf (and toss stuff off of it). It would not have been hard for one stand upright on the top shelf and unscrew the fixture. Something probably distracted him/her before she got the globe all the way off. Otherwise it would have crashed to the ground at that time. Then it was just a matter of time before the partially unscrewed globe was jostled loose by the opening and closing of the door.

Wiley rascals all of them!

Congratulations, Sheri; flying squirrels are so beautiful they don't seem real, aren't they?

Cheryl, too funny about the porch light fixture...though I'm sure it was thoroughly startling at the time.

Cheryl- those area wiley bunch of precious beasts in your back yard. I use the term beasts lovingly with tongue in cheeks they are such sweeties.

I must clarify my examination of the nest box yesterday. When I open the front panel, the entire deep nest is exposed. I very very gently tug at a small bit of the nest material so as to "tilt" it forward enough to see what is in the center "cup". I have a healthy respect for sharp teeth, and would not want to completely freak out the resident by sticking my hand or fingers into the nest.

This morning I was near the box getting Elvis leash untangled from the upright 4x4. After bringing him back into the house, I got a couple of almonds and returned to the nest box. I must tell you that we have a "she" flying squirrel. I very quietly and slowly opened the front and was just going to lay the almond atop the edge of the nest. Her beautiful head with those huge deep round eyes popped up and she took the almond with her mouth!! I then saw what looked like a very tiny foot positioned such that I knew it could not be hers. I very gently tilted the outer wall of the nest just enough for me to see a bit deeper into the nest. SHE HAS BABIES!! I will call her Rosie now that her sex is known. This is so exciting. I am so doggone disappointed in not having a camera...as a picture would capture all of your hearts.

Sorry for hijacking space on your thread, Cheryl. But I knew Raccoon& Possum people would appreciate this wildlife treasure also.

Sheri

Ps- here's a link to see pics of Flying Squirrels http://www.flyingsquirrels.com/
edited to add picture link

This message was edited Sep 25, 2010 9:19 AM

This message was edited Sep 25, 2010 9:26 AM

Now that is REALLY exciting! You get to watch baby flying squirrels grow up, what fun! I'll bet they are soooo cute.

ROTFLOL, Susan! (lincoln)

I love that image of Heidi working at her computer, writing her plans, etc when she returns from the buffet. That is just too adorable. Heck, I'm thinking she probably even has a secret DG account (is there a member named Heidi?) and reads my 'reviews' daily. She probably even 'steals' my wireless internet access. I can hear her now muttering to herself as she reads the after buffet 'review' (post): "What! That's not what I said!" or "Well, of course I fussed at the kits. They were walking across the dining room table, for heaven's sake. Now who would allow that?!" or "Hey, Petey, you handsome boy you, the human's are really smitten with you." or "Oh, good, says here she got 5 more bags of food and a ton of cookies. I hate it when she runs out and tries to make do for a day with leftovers. I need my daily kibble to be my best in the forest. Hey, kids, we have to make sure to be there early tomorrow as there will be cookies for you guys." and so on...

I'm glad you enjoyed the pics. I have more and need to post them. You might need to remind me though. I was so happy when you mentioned that about how cute Petey is with his butt in the air. It was only after I posted those pics - and asked 'isn't he cute' - that I realized his face was not showing in a single pic. I feared people would say, "we can't see him!"

While Petey has a cute face, I think it's his antics and all the adorable poses he gets in that make him so special. In those pics it was that butt in the air pose that I found adorable, so i was glad that you saw it, too. Petey had many other adorable poses like when he sits in front of his dish (well, actually Heidi's dish) and turns it up on its side for easier access or when he sort of 1/2 sits and 1/2 lies down (hard to describe this one) and a million others. I think Petey is in some cute and unusual pose more often than he's standing in a 'normal' position. It's his signature.

Yes, Heidi is one smart lady. There will ever only be one Heidi. Long live the Queen!

Sheri,

Thanks for the link. The flying squirrel is cute, and I'm sure they must be even more so in person. I know you will enjoy watching her raise her family. What a wonderful gift. You are very lucky. Enjoy.

Ruth,

Thanks for keeping me straight. I'm trying to think like a cat, but sometimes it is difficult for me to understand exactly where Kitty is coming from. I never let that stop me from caring for her though, and no matter how busy I am at the moment, I always stop to pet her when she comes in to eat and when she is lying at the foot of the bed - because I know those are the 2 times when she will allow (and possibly even appreciate) being petted. Recently, she has begun to turn over on her back at the foot of the bed and allow me to rub her chest and tummy gently. : )

I guess if animals did what we do, worrying about the future and things that haven't even happened yet, they would be totally crazy. Can you imagine if animals sat around dreaming up all the 'what if' scenarios like 'what if I get eaten by an alligator?' and 'what if there's a bob cat in the forest tonight?' and 'what if a snake eats my babies while I'm gone?' and so on and so on... They would never leave their tree limb. We would need a whole army of wildlife psychologists.

Yes, it would be nice to stay 'in the now' more often.

I think Petey knows he's special, knows he's got it going on. Watching him as he interacts with the others, both adults and other kits, I quickly became aware that he acts like the children of important people (at all levels), like the teacher's kid or the principle's kid in a classroom with other kids, like the doctor's kid running around the hospital or the mayor's kid or the senator's kid and so on. Even when Petey was very small and other adults would accost him and try to tell him to move out of there way, whereas the normal kit might have yielded to that pressure, Petey would flatten his tummy to the ground and hold his space. Head in the air, he almost seemed to be saying to them, "My Mom is the Boss here you know." Like kids of important people, he seemed always to know that his Mom was in charge and he no one was going to mess with him. He knew he had to listen to his mom and treat others with respect as she had told him, but he didn't have to let them boss him around. It was interesting to see that in him, to realize the similarities between him and his human analogs.

Wow! Somehow I must have missed the fact that Petey's mom was the boss. So he is one of Heidie's kits.
Hey Cheryl-Do ya think you could get a video of the kits scrambling over the fence for your goodies? That must be a really neat experience having all the bunch of little ones scampering over, down and across the grass toward you.

When we are granted the rare opportunity to interact with and be accepted & trusted by Any wild animal it is and awesome experience. I can nearly imagine the anti anxiety and calming effect that time spent with them brings. You are blessed by being accepted in their Raccoon world.

We, your fans, are in turn blessed by your stories of their antics and personalities. I always feel more at peace and relaxed with a big grin on my face after reading your stories.

Sheri

Thank you, Sheri,

Yes, Petey is one of Heidi's kits.

Getting a really good video of their entrance is much more challenging than it sounds due, in part, to physical limitations of the equipment. I got some footage, not the entire event though, a little while back. I haven't viewed it yet so don't know how good (or not) it is. I don't have time to post it right now but will do so soon. Now that I know you are looking for it, I'll try to make it one of my next few photo/video uploads. It's more time intensive than it sounds because I took numerous video snippets that day (and others) and will have to watch them all to find it - and then invest the time to get it loaded, posted, etc.

I'm glad to hear that you derive such enjoyment from the story. Thank you for the compliment.

Forgot to mention that for the past week or so we're back to having those all day Tstorms which 'drown' us and make it difficult even to feed the raccoons at all - or even the cats for that matter. Yesterday morning when we got up, it was raining too hard for poor Widget to go out. An hour later when we tried again, it was still pouring, but by that time Widget couldn't wait any longer so he just ran out there in the middle of the downpour before I could stop him.

It continued to pour all day long with intermittent bouts of very heavy lightening added for special effects. It was so bad that neither cat could get to either door even though I checked for them and called repeatedly throughout the day - but it just never stopped raining, and we all know how cats are about water.

Some time around 4PM when I went to the front door to check for the cats, I was amazed to see that the rain was coming down so hard that it was actually standing about 4in deep on the walkway. Considering the rather steep grade of my front yard, it was unimaginable to me that water could even possibly avoid draining away long enough to reach a depth of 4in, yet it did. The falling rain was splashing as it pelted the standing water already on the ground. Apparently, it was just coming down faster than it could drain away despite the grade.

I was certain that I would not be able to open the buffet that day, but quite to my utter amazement, the rain ceased for some 30 to 45 min starting around 7:10PM - just in time for the buffet. I 'swam' out there fully expecting the rain to start up again and rain us out. I was so sure of this that I would not put down more than a scant handful of food at a time for each raccoon, a quantity I would refill when eaten. I just didn't want to see a lot of food get washed into the gutters if we should have a sudden flash flood during the meal. Thankfully, the rain managed to hold off long enough for the raccoons to enjoy their meal - and for the cats to get in when I returned to the house. (After that, the sky opened up once more and the rains fell well into the night.)

Anyhow, I can't take the camera out with me when the weather is this way (and it's pouring again today, all day, so once again I will be surprised if it even slows up enough to let me feed the raccoons - and if there is any dry ground back there upon which to put the food.). Sometimes I will go out to feed the raccoons in light rain, and even if it isn't raining when I 1st go out, it may start up while I'm out there. If it does so, I will often stay out there as long as the rain is light enough, but while I am fairly water resistant, I wouldn't want to put the camera through that. It's not much these days, but it's all I have.

After quite a bit of searching, I've not found the arrival videos yet. However, I did find this one. It's an older video of Cissy and her kit arriving. At the time I was trying to capture video of the kit diving off the fence, but apparently he had finally learned his lesson on that as in this video he arrived quietly and came down the fence the normal way. None the less, I posted the video because it does show the small branch jiggling and raccoon (Cissy) appearing atop the fence just as if any of the others were arriving.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVdxHMUoyFQ

The majority of the raccoons/kits arrive via that small wild holly bush which they use to climb up to the top of the fence. All this time I hadn't realized, but the really can only get over the fence either by climbing a small bush such as this one that is growing against the fence or by climbing a tree whose branch(es) descend down to the top of the fence. The reason is that their claws will not penetrate the fence boards (oddly enough), so they can't get a grip on the fence to climb it. On the inside, they can climb up/down the fence posts which are made of a different type of wood, but on the outside the fence boards cover the post so that it is not available to climb on that side.

Just FYI, for those who might prefer to keep raccoons out of an area, this might be useful information. They can't climb the pressure treated wood fence boards, so if you were to enclose an area in this manner with posts exposed on the inside only and with nothing adjacent to the fence from which to climb/jump onto the fence, that might actually work to keep them out. My fence is designed with no gaps between boards, so keep that in mind, as well. Gaps may act as rungs on a ladder allowing them to climb. In years past, I actually watched the raccoons run to the fence and try to climb it when my dog Sassy would chase them. Their claws would fail to penetrate the boards and they would fall back to the ground. For real, as unlikely as it may seem, the raccoons cannot climb the fence boards, only the posts.

Dennis takes a cookie from my hand. This video is super short. It starts off with a 'blank' stare at the old tractor scoot, but hang on and after a second or so you will see Dennis take the cookie. As I am both actor and camera man (not easy to coordinate), the shot is a bit so so.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaa2tVX-t6o

Dennis' kit eating kibble. Please note that these are all older videos. These kits are much larger now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu2DCfqYBfM

Here is a very brief look at one of Dennis' kits climbing an oak tree in the edge of the forest. The kit had run from the buffet to the tree. He/she was scared. You can hear the kit calling its Mom. The video is darkish because it's near sundown, and while I'm in the yard where there is still light, he is in the forest where it is getting dark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkMLTVoDDS8

Here's a kit eating kibble. Small cookie fragments are raining down on him. Eventually he picks one up and eats it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAi_JcPSN90

This video shows Petey eating near my leg. Again these are older videos. These days he just runs right up to me, but in this video he's eating beside the table leg and very close to my leg (also seen in video). Yesterday while I was watching Heidi and the other kits arriving in front of me, Petey ran around through the shrubs on one side of the buffet and then ran up beside me, stood upright, and put his front paws on my waist at the hip/side. I was surprised, but he didn't scare me. I thought it was very sweet. I put some food down beside me and he got down and started eating.

The video also shows Heidi and her other 2 kits eating kibble. At one point I pan right to show Dennis eating at my right side. Dennis will also eat much closer, right up against me. That's just where I put the food that day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDyiMq4op3c

Edited to correct error. Dennis was on my right side.

This message was edited Sep 29, 2010 1:34 AM

Here is a must see look at Dennis scarfing down and clearly enjoying watermelon, a treat she positively refused to touch last year but now loves. Also in this one: Dennis' kit takes a cookie from my hand, kit eats cookie, another kit comes down the fence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcRVVHglbLM

Thankfully, today the sun has returned; however, yesterday was yet another day of rain and storms. I didn't get to feed the raccoons. Around 3AM I awoke and remembered that I had failed to put out the recycling which they pick up around 7AM. I decided to run the stuff out to the curb to be sure I didn't miss pickup. (I hate it when I do that.)

I opened the front door and was shocked to find 2 adorable kits on my tiny 'porch' (It's not really even a porch. too small. I just don't know what else to call it). They were maybe 2ft from me. At 1st the kits were startled. Then just as they were about to bolt, one of them recognized me. It was so cute. You could see what the kit was thinking written clearly on his face. He was like "Oh, It's the cookie lady!"

For a moment the kits were actually coming back towards me. Then Widget who was beside me and, thankfully, on leash (I was going to take him out 1st, then the recycling) lunged toward them. The leash stopped him, but that was sufficient to send the kits scurrying around the corner of the house where they disappeared into the darkness.

I was so taken by the kits and particularly by that moment when the one recognized me and the little fellas turned to come TO me. I stopped everything, put a few scoops of kibble in a plastic container, added a few cookies, and set it out on the patio calling, "Heidi, Heidi" into the night. I'm not certain, but those looked like Heidi's kits. I think the one that recognized me was actually Petey.

After I took the recycling out I went to the back door and turned the light on for a minute to see if they had found the kibble. There on the patio was a kit crouching Petey style, tummy on the patio floor, in front of the dish (which was turned on its side the way he eats). The kit didn't run away when I turned the light on. He/she didn't even break his stride, just kept right on eating. I turned the light back off and went back to bed.

Oh, and when I 1st opened the door to find the kits on the front porch looking for food, both of my cats were directly in front of the house but out at the street/sidewalk watching the goings on. The cats did not appear happy to see the raccoons invading their front yard territory. As soon as the raccoons ran away, the cats came to the door immediately. They came inside, grabbed a quick snack while I was carting out the recycling, and then went back out happy to have their turf back.

More Rain?! Bigger Storm?

We had a nice, sunny day today, at least until mid afternoon when the clouds moved in once more. Looks like we have a tropical storm (Sixteen, odd name) coming this way from the gulf. This one is expected to come right through here and bring a ton of rain which we certainly don't need.

We may be swimming by the time this is over. The other day it rained so hard and so fast, as I mentioned before, that water was actually standing 4in deep on the walkway just outside the front door. I've never seen that before. It's especially impressive since the entire front yard is on a fairly steep slope. The water had to be coming down fast to overcome gravity and keep the water standing like that. A little later that same day after the rain had stopped (for a little while), I walked Widget. When we got to the street I had to pick him up because of water laying up on the side of the street. I've never seen that either. The street is designed to drain water into the ponds. I gather the ponds must have been temporarily overflowing so that the street water could not drain away. I can't see another 5+ inches on top of that (what they are predicting from the storm at this time).

And heaven forbid the TD storm should decide to upgrade to hurricane status on its way here. Yikes. This is looking scary. At times like this I always wish I could take my home and just move over a bit, just a scrunch.

Oh, great, now the prediction for the storm is 6 to 10 in of rain. Ouch. Plus there's an 80% chance of the storm upgrading to hurricane status. And it's coming FAST, expected to be here by Thursday. If it becomes a dangerous hurricane, that doesn't give us much time to evacuate, so this is getting scary. I guess, among other things, I need to try to bring the cats in Wednesday evening and keep them inside. No sense in them being caught outside in a TS or hurricane.