Heidi Chronicles: Dreaming of Spring

It does sound like that kit is in training to be Heidi's lieutenant of the year...and no doubt, as always, Heidi has chosen wisely.

Ohhhh, your gonna get a job!!! Was the technical interview with your old company?

The ratio of male to female raccoons seems to be high for the girls, at lease in the Heidi clan. I wonder if that is a universal truth or just in your area. Which ever, I always hate to think of the ones who have been visiting your diner for a long time suddenly thrust out on their own. Heidi teaches well though so no doubt hers have a great chance.

I have also wondered about how much area a lone mail claims as 'his'. Also, A direct Heidi son must really get some long traveling papers to avoid inter breeding. Just thoughts..

Hi Sheri,

I totally understand. I have tons of those random thoughts myself - and post them often. I don't know the answers. Just guessing, but I figure mother nature probably does err on the side of more females than males, esp considering their rather limited role in the future of the species and the fact that one male can father countless litters.

From a purely scientific perspective, the female is the default in all species in the sense that we all, male and female alike, start out in the womb as females. The presence of a 'Y' chromosome is required to set in motion the chain of events needed to transition a developing fetus to male (I like to think of this as the Y chromosome defect, but I kid the boys.); no change is required to be female. Thus it seems that even from a scientific perspective, nature shows a preference for the female.

As for those that are driven out to start new lives elsewhere, that really is the natural way of things, so I don't think of it as such a bad thing. Most raccoons don't have a backyard buffet. Heidi earned hers by having the intelligence and courage to come to me that fateful day and stick to her guns when 'asked' to leave (and by 'asked' I mean having things thrown at her - ok near her - while hanging off the fence). Heidi, as the originator of the buffet and the owner of this territory is thus the only one who gets to stay indefinitely. For all the others it's like a really nice vacation before they have to go out on their own, and as we have seen in the past it is also a safety net to which they may return if circumstances (injury) make them unable to get by on their own.

As to my interview, no it was not with any of my prior jobs/companies. My prior companies, after all, already know my abilities and thus have no need of a technical interview the purpose of which is for a company to try to assess my knowledge of the subject matter and suitability for the job. This was for the job I've been talking about for a week or so, the one that mentioned a signing bonus should things work out.

Job hunting is a lot like dating. You have to kiss a lot of frogs...well, you know. Until a written offer is made and the papers are signed, one must keep one's options open. That's the marriage equivalent of the moment the preacher says, "I now pronounce you..." Until then, you aren't married. Until a written offer is received and signed by both parties, I'm not employed, so I have to keep looking.

While lunching with my former colleague, I did learn that they will be needing someone soon and would very much love to have me back. I would love to work with them again. It would be the answer to all our prayers, BUT right now they are just dreaming and window shopping. They don't have the money in hand at the moment, and I'm no longer in a position to gamble my future on a promissory note. I actually think he may have said something about June. I can't afford to wait until June, so it's most unlikely that I'll end up in that position - unless I take another job, hate it, and transfer over when that job becomes a reality. That's about the only way I see that working out, and that's only something I would do if whatever job I take in the mean time just doesn't work out. It's great to be wanted, but the timing isn't likely to work out.

As for the technical review, I think it went well, but there is no guarantee as to whether I will get the job. I think things are going well, but it's not in the bag yet. I'm 'good' on the things I do, and I think that part went well; however, there are a few places where my skills fail to match up exactly with what they are looking for. That doesn't mean I won't get the job. It's nearly impossible to find the perfect person who matches the job exactly. They spoke of having me meet next with some of the senior developers for another round of technical interviews. Yippee. Anyhow, time will tell.

Boy can I relate to the "dating" comparison. When I was still in the 'work-a-day' world, my last two jobs included final interviews out of state. I was flown to the main or regional office and 'courted'. That part was pretty cool since I took it to mean that i was at least in the top few.
Shew... I don't mind at all being on disability and not having to deal with all that stress.

Perhaps i need to schedule a trip to Charleston and take you out and about. boy I'd love to walk on the beach and see some of my old favorite spots.


PS....sorry about forgetting to spell check on some of my entries.....they are embarrassing to see when that happens. ^_^

Sheri, nature does a truly remarkable job of proportioning the gender of the young to the needs of the species. In the few species that are naturally monogamous, male and female births are roughly equal. In the majority of species, where the female bears the sole responsibility for raising the young, female births usually outnumber male. After all, one male can service lots of females since his service is oh so brief. And I know lots of human males who think that sounds like a great life, don't you? [snickering quietly in background]

Sheri,

Please don't give a 2nd thought to typos. I don't.

As for going out and about, sorry, very bad timing. For starters, I can barely get out of bed right now. Seriously, I mentioned it a day or so ago - that my back has gone on protest again - and now it is getting worse rather than better. Just the effort to feed the cats the past day or two has been hugely painful. I'm taking my regular med plus doubling up on my breakthrough med and still only getting nominal relief and only for a short time. Even the thought of getting out of bed to do anything is painful right now. It's depressing when my back acts up this way, especially since it's not helping with the whole job thing.

Secondly, I tried to explain this the other day, but I don't really have spare time right now. As you mentioned, you are on disability. You have a guaranteed income which covers your necessities. I don't. I'm unemployed, and my situation is getting BAD, very, very bad. The small amount I get from unemployment is insufficient to pay my bills, and even THAT is neither permanent nor guaranteed. I could loose my unemployment benefits at any time and w/o warning. Also, there are things I haven't told you guys. Trust me, if I don't get a job soon, things will be disastrous. The time to enjoy my 'vacation' is long gone. I have to get up early each morning and put in a full workday just looking for work and handling other issues related to my unemployment.

I understand how difficult it must be to realize that it takes so much time to pursue a job. I wouldn't believe it myself if I weren't doing it. The days you mentioned, days of being courted by employers are long gone. Now that there are far more people than jobs, employers aren't willing to go the effort they once did. Whereas just a few years ago it was SOP for employers to fly us here and there for interviews and pick up the tab, not most adds indicate either that they will not accept out of state applicants or that they will do so ONLY at the applicants expense (i.e., you pay all cost of traveling for interviews and such). One company that called me recently said they would pay for travel for an interview (if I got that far in the process. companies are doing more phone interviews now to avoid that); however, they said they would not assist with any moving expenses if I took the job. It wasn't that long ago that employers had their people handle the logistics of scheduling a truck to move your stuff and paid all expenses including the cost of storing things while you looked for a house and the cost of living in an apartment until your house sold. That is SO over now.

Now the 'courting' is on the other foot, so to speak, and it takes days to do the work for a single job, things like altering your resume to target the job, writing cover letters and thank you letters, preparing for and attending interviews, taking calls, chasing down people to give you recommendations, etc, etc. It's all very time consuming, and you have to do it over and over for every job. Then there's the time spent looking for appropriate jobs.

Anyhow, as much as I appreciate your very generous offer, right now I can't afford the time off from the job search - even if I COULD walk. I have to do everything in my power right now to find a job before everything caves in around me - not to mention the many others (Kitty, Cocoa, Widget) depending on me. I just can't afford time off to 'play' right now, not until I find a job and get things straightened out again. And, again, I can't walk right now anyhow.

I've been trying to figure out what I may have done to make my back mad again. I've considered that job search stress may be a factor, but I rather doubt it since my back flares up periodically anyhow. Maybe it has nothing to do with anything I'm doing. Maybe it has to do with cycles or weather. Who knows. I would really hate to think walking down the block and back a few times caused this much pain. That would be sad. Since my back flared up again I've had to postpone the walks, btw. Poor Widget. Every night when we go out front, he tries to tell me that we should walk.

I sometimes wonder if all the bending down to deal with small animals aggravates my back. I bend down several times each day to pick Widget up. Lately, I also bend down to pick Cocoa up when he lies down in front of me. And I still get down on the floor to sit with him, pet him, and play with him periodically. That's probably rough on my back, too.

Anyhow, I really hate it when my back flares like this. I'm spending the day alternating between sitting on and lying on one of my two large ice pads, taking pain meds, applying creams, and yelling every time I need to walk. Scream! I'm just hoping it will quiet down again as it usually does after a few days. I don't have the time for this right now.

Oh Cheryl, I sooo understand that horrible back pain. I do not get it anywhere near as bad as it used to be, but still have had some days recently when i too spent lots of time lying on the Ice pack.
I pray things in many areas of your life turn around soon for you.

Thank you, Sheri,

Thank you for your understanding and your prayers.

Many prayers are being said for you (and all of us, too)

June,

Oops. Sorry. I put your response in the Kitty & Cocoa thread by mistake. Hopefully, you will see it there.

A few minutes ago I went to the back door to check for raccoons and to see if Kitty might be out there. I turned on the patio light. The patio was empty. Just to make sure Kitty wasn't back there hiding out, I opened the door a few inches hoping she would hear the bells on the door ringing. No Kitty. Finally, I called out into the night, "Kitty, Kitty."

The call was answered by a young raccoon who at that very minute came out of the darkness and scrambled hurriedly up to the crack in the door. I spoke to her, "Hi, Sweetie!" I told her I would get her some food. She staked right there at the open crack in the door almost as though she wanted to come inside.

Slowly I closed the gap in the door and then ever so gently pushed the door 'to'. The clicking sound as the lock fell into its slot frightened her and she quickly moved away. Of course, I thought, the raccoons never hear that sound, At least not up close like that. I open the door and come out. I don't close it when they are standing there. I called after her speaking sweetly. It took a moment or two for her to access the situation and decide I was still ok.

She came back to the door for a minute or so. Then when I stepped away to put on my boots and get the food, she disappeared. I hurried, hoping she hadn't run off. When I got to the door, there she was sitting in a rather slouchy position in the very spot where I always feed them. She seemed to understand that I was coming out in a few minutes to feed her, and she was sitting there waiting for me.

When I went out with the food, she ran a short distance away but eventually came back with a little prodding. She was on the patio with me but hiding behind some large flower pots. I poured the food and called her. She came out from behind the pots and inched toward the food with me standing just maybe 2ft away. Her head was only inches from the food when Widget jumped up on the patio door (from the inside) and scared her such that she ran back to hide behind the pots once more. I stepped back over to the door a little farther away and called her again. This time she came out from the other side of the pots. When she started eating her food, I came inside.

It was definitely one of Heidi's bunch and given her comfort level with me I'm inclined to think it was that same one that usually travels with Heidi. I haven't seen them for a few days. I've been in this cycle still where I fall asleep very early at night. I check for them before I fall asleep and again around midnight when Widget wakes me up, but never see them out there. Then again, I wouldn't have seen them tonight either if I hadn't called Kitty. I hadn't thought to that in the past when checking for raccoons.

I am finally catching up! OMG It has been a long time.....

and talking about me and my photo cleaning expertise! ROFLMBO that just made my day!!!

You know, I have "Ruperta" as one of my favorite "wallpaper" pics also Cheryl & Terese....I love that picture!! And I didn't need to clean it up! O:)

Hi Debbie!

Good to see you again! How nice to hear that you also hold that Rupert/Ruperta photo dear. It's a favorite of mine, too.

ROTFLOL. Girl, you are a legend now, you and your photoshopping expertise.

This morning I awoke to news of another fish kill like the one that washed up on the beach in Charleston some months ago providing 2 buckets of tasty seafood entrees for the raccoons and other wildlife in my backyard - and who knows, maybe a cat or two. This time it was a tremendous number of sardines washing up on a CA beach. They are already in the process of removing those fish to be sent to a composting plant where they will become fertilizer. Fertilizer was one of the 1st thoughts I had when I heard about the fish on the beach near me. I remembered the grade school lessons on how Native Americans buried fish with the maize seeds in their gardens.

This time, the number of fish appears considerably greater than those that washed up here, and ours covered the beach as far as I could see in both directions. It's interesting to note that in both cases the fish effected were small. I don't recall the name of the fish that washed up here, but I could wrap my hand around them. The ones that washed up in CA were reportedly sardines, so probably smaller still.

This time authorities have determined the cause to be something about all those fish piling into the marina at once - like people rushing into a stadium - resulted in a sudden depletion of oxygen in the limited water, and the fish all drowned. Is anyone other than me starting to think this sounds, hmmm, possibly a little smelly - no pun intended? I was willing to buy the story about our fish swimming too close to the surface when it was colder than expected and suddenly freezing to death, although to be honest I had difficulty understanding why they wouldn't just quickly swim back to where it was warmer, but now with this 2nd group of fish washing up dead, this time on the west coast, just a few months later and for another seemingly implausible reason, I'm starting to wonder about this now. It's not as though fish have been washing up on our shores regularly for years now. I've lived here all my life, and I can tell you this is not a regular occurrence. But if large numbers of fish would die so easily just because they all rushed into the marina together or because they swam too close to the surface on a cold day, why wouldn't it be a regular occurrence? Hmmm. Something is starting to smell fishy to me.

Whatever the cause, I found myself wishing I could run down to that beach to grab another bucket full.

Just FYI, I know it has been a while since I've posted here, except for the post above which I did a minute ago, that is. I just haven't seen the raccoons lately, not since that one night when the yearling came to the door when I was calling Kitty. I've been checking the door a few times a night but to no avail. I suspect that they have quit waiting out there for me, since I stopped showing up, something which probably happened back when I started falling asleep much earlier each night. With Widget in the bed with me, there was no one to alert me when they arrived, and in time they stopped waiting.

Based on Widget's behavior each morning when he goes out back it looks as though they are probably visiting the buffet area each night in hopes of finding me there. When the raccoons were hanging out on the patio in winter, Widget would also stay on the patio when I let him out. He would stay out there sniffing around to see what information he could glean. It was annoying as I would have to go out there and run him off the porch to get him to go do what he was sent out there to do in the 1st place. If I didn't keep an eye on him, some days Widget would urinate and even defecate ON the patio. I was NOT happy, btw. At 1st I thought he was just being lazy about going out in the cold yard. In time I came to realize that the problem was that the raccoons were hanging out on the patio and thus he was marking his territory out there just as he normally does back at the buffet. Recently I've noticed a shift back to the way things used to be with Widget going directly to the back of the yard to do his business while sniffing around the buffet - which indicates that the raccoons are now hanging around back there instead of on the patio.

They are no doubt waiting for me to show up back there as I always do. I need to get off my duff and start going back there again. If not daily, then some nights. It won't be tonight though because...
...I have a face to face meeting tomorrow with that company I've been 'dating'. Well, it sure feels like dating. How long have we been going steady now? It must surely be time for them to pop the question soon! Maybe tomorrow night I'll go back to the buffet to celebrate my engagement...

Hmmm, two fish kills in one year, and on opposite coasts, is suspicious. It's no secret that we're poisoning the oceans in so many ways, and I guess the smallest fish would be the first affected. All that oil from the Gulf had to go somewhere, not to mention all the other spills and other toxic incidents. Really tragic.

Ruth,

Good to know that I'm not alone in finding that to be overly coincidental.

It has been a while since I've seen any of the raccoons even though I've been looking for them often. The last time I saw one was the incident with the yearling posted a while back. Last night, however, my cat told me there was a raccoon on the patio. I'm not sure if she did this intentionally. I was following her thinking she maybe needed to go outside when she stopped short of the door and hopped up to sit in a chair facing the patio. I was about to walk away when it occurred to me that she usually does this when watching a raccoon on the patio in the dark.

I walked over to the door and switched on the light expecting to see nothing as had been the case for so long now, but there at the far end of the patio was Heidi's unmistakable face. She looked up at me for a moment before scurrying away. I opened the door and called after her. At 1st it seemed she would not reappear. Then when I closed the door to go for the food, she appeared at the door where she normally waits for me.

When I stepped outside, she again disappeared. I called but didn't see any sign of her returning. I stooped down where I could see beneath the camellias that line the patio on that side. Now I could see her standing a short distance away and looking back at me. I called her again. This time she came toward me, 1st walking up to a spot just on the other side of a small camellia and then finally coming out from her hiding place to walk across the patio and right up to me, so close that I could reach out and touch her although of course I did not.

Moving slowly so as not to frighten her as I know she is leery of bags for some reason, I put the end of the bag to the patio in front of her and poured her some food. I spoke to her for a minute or two and then came back inside. She appeared to be alone. She looked good but was very definitely 'showing'.

I need to start going back out to the buffet very soon. I usually consider it very important to support them this time of year while the babies are developing and later while they are nursing. As you probably know there has just been so very, very much going on in my person and financial life of late, turmoil which has kept me so occupied and at times discouraged that I've not gotten out there. I have been checking the patio but seem to have always missed them lately. For one thing it's very dark back there at the buffet. Perhaps now I'll be able to get some batteries for my flashlight. That will help me to feel more comfortable venturing back there in the darkness.

At any rate, it was good to see Heidi again, as it always is. Naturally, I was happy to see that she is still healthy and looking good.

I had a feeling, by Heidi's actions, that she was pregnant. few more months and you will have a patio of babies again.

Yep, Terese,

I think you are right. When she showed up recently looking all messy after being 'missing' for a week or so, I tagged that post because I was virtually certain that she had been out 'dating' and that kits would be forthcoming. I figure if you take the date on which she returned and add 9wks for delivery + another 2mo for the kits to get mature enough to come to the buffet, you will have the approx date on which to expect Heidi's bunch to show up. Others will likely begin showing up a few weeks earlier because not all mothers are as particular as Heidi about when they let their kids out of the den.

It's definitely that time again.

And just yesterday I was thinking that maybe this summer I will be able to eat a few watermelons again! And share the rind and outer most portion with Heidi and the gang. Hopefully, later in the season when local watermelons ripen the price will be decent. I'm determined to continue to pinch pennies well into the future.

A few weeks back when I was calling references, I called my prior boss from 2 jobs back. He lives in DC. Even when I worked for that company, I only saw him maybe once a year if that, but we spoke on the phone more often. He was among my favorite bosses, possibly due in part to the distance between us. You know, that whole "absence makes the heart grow fonder" thing.

When I called him for a reference, he said he was glad I had called because he had been thinking about me, and there was something he needed to talk with me about. I was hoping at the time that it might have something to do with a job opening. I really liked working for that company, rarely have anything going on here in Charleston.

I was more than a little surprised when he told me what it was about. In part I was sincerely appreciative for his friendly concern, after all I've been 'gone' from that company for 2yrs now. I only worked there for 3yrs, so I've almost been gone the same amount of time, and considering that he lives several states away, quite frankly I feel honored that he even still remembers my name when I call let alone that he would bother to worry about my well-being. On the other hand, I find it a little amusing and in some ways bordering on the absurd.

He wanted to speak with me because he has been watching that program "Fatal Attractions" on APL. If you aren't familiar with the program, each week it presents 1 or 2 people who are (or were) raising some type of dangerous animal and treating it as a pet, often to their demise. I've watched a number of episodes myself, the 1st of which was about a man who had some 7 nile monitors for pets and was allowing them full run of his house. Not surprisingly he was found dead and partially eaten. Then there was a woman who was raising highly venomous snakes including some she acquired via the 'black market' because they were so deadly as to be illegal. She didn't make it either.

Other episodes have covered people raising tigers, bulls, buffalo, and even crocodiles in their homes and treating them as pets. One guy was riding a buffalo and driving it around in a cut down car. A woman had a croc fitted with a harness and was trying to lead it around on a leash.

After watching a few episodes of this program, he had grown concerned that my interaction with Heidi and the others was somehow analogous and thus very dangerous. I tried to explain to him the obvious differences: that I don't keep Heidi in my house or walk her on a leash, that she and the others are not pets but wild animals, that I am aware of the dangers and taking steps to ameliorate them, that I am not obsessed with them as are the people on that program, that I don't think of them as furry 'people', and lastly that in no way do raccoons compare in lethality with tigers, buffalo, bulls, monitor lizards, poisonous snakes, crocodiles, and the like. He remains unconvinced and continues to be concerned that my friendship with Heidi will somehow end as fatally as those presented on the "Fatal Attractions" program. I remain appreciative that he cares enough to worry.

Seven Nile monitors loose in the house??? Dear god we are a stupid species; "too stupid to live" certainly seems to apply to that gentleman and the venomous snake lady. Yes, the fellow's concern is nice; but even if she wanted to (which she clearly does not), Heidi could not approach that threat level. Although in the days when you first met her, I'm not sure you would have believed that yourself, lol.

LOL, Ruth,

No, I don't believe I ever thought of Heidi as potentially lethal. If I had thought that, I doubt we would ever have gotten this far. My fear was always of rabies - which IS lethal. My major erroneous belief early on was that she (and the others) were vicious. I was absolutely convinced that she was vicious by nature and would strike out at and attack me any chance she got - as a misguided attempt to protect herself. This belief was so deeply ingrained in me at a very young age by my parents, family, and community that I was absolutely convinced it was true, as true as the sky is blue and the earth is round. It was all but impossible to break through this belief as you may recall, and it was this belief along with a similarly misguided idea that virtually all raccoons have rabies which added up in my mind to lethality and which made it difficult for me to trust her.

It really was only through your words that I began to let her inch closer and over time learned that she was anything but lethal. It also took some time - and your encouragement - for my rational mind to overcome early indoctrination enough to realize they can't all be rabid.

I didn't think she was nile monitor or tiger lethal, but I have come a very long way from what I did believe. I hear people all the time insisting that raccoons are vicious, and just like me, they hold very tightly to that erroneous notion. It's amazing how well this concept has permeated our fears as a society. My guess is that it's the result of early attempts by officials to prevent rabies by scaring people into staying well away from raccoons, possibly either in the days before the vaccine was available or at least back when it was horribly painful - which was another of my misconceptions in the beginning. Now this erroneous information is passed from generation to generation as parents teach children what they believe is vital to their survival.

As to that show, it's quite amazing to hear the people talk about their 'pets', or in the case of those who are deceased, to hear this through their friends and relatives. The guy with the monitors kept the windows covered at all times so neighbors wouldn't know what he had in his house. He was showing up at work with deep cuts and gouges on his arms. Then one day when he didn't show up at all, they contacted police who eventually went to his house to check on him, and...too late. Oh, and the police who entered the home were NOT expecting to find themselves surrounded by 7 nile monitors either. They said it was a grisly scene inside.

The woman with the snakes didn't let them run loose, but she would stick her unprotected hands in the cages to clean them. According to her parents and friends, she actually believed that her snakes recognized her as the one who fed them and that they knew they were safe with her and thus would not strike her. The snake that killed her was an extremely lethal variety. She even made it to the hospital and received antivenin, but died still. Then, knowing the snake was loose in the house, officials had to go in and retrieve it. The snake survived and ended up in the exotic snake collection of a major zoo.

I was particularly amazed at the 2 'crazy' people on the most recent episode about crocodiles. A woman had a smaller, fresh water croc that she had raised from a baby and kept in a large tub in her house. She would carry it around on her shoulder like a baby, even though it's tail reached the ground. She kept a dog harness on it, and tried to walk it like a dog. Naturally, it didn't cooperate. She even rode around with it in the passenger seat of her car. She called it her daughter and believed it knew her and loved her the same way a dog would. It would bite her sometimes, but the wounds were not lethal.

Later, she graduated to the larger and much more dangerous salt water croc. It was considerably larger than the size officials consider dangerous and routinely remove from waterways near homes. She somehow managed to get this one in a harness and actually believed she could train it to walk on the leash. She was trying to win its trust and affections - even though it, too, would bite her. She kept it in her bungalow. Oh, and she thought it was so cute the way it would peak over the edge of the water at her - you know, that thing they do to grab prey. A man on the same episode would sit in the enclosure with his, large, pet croc which he also believed loved him and would not attack him - even though it had already completely mangled his arm permanently damaging nerves. Crazy people, but the show can be interesting, just to see what crazy things people do.

You're right, fear of raccoons is just about universal in the populace; and unfortunately, few people are as open to education and experience as you were. It's truly sad, and of course it's the raccoons who suffer for our ignorance.

I can just imagine what the officers found in the Nile monitors' house; I've seen what they can do to large animals, and it ain't pretty, to put it mildly. They're somewhat messy eaters... Maybe it's bias on my part, but I just don't see how you can have a genuine two-way emotional relationship and bond with a reptile. Their brains are so very different from ours; and when they're dangerous to start with, good luck. As a child, I had a box turtle who would come up after hibernation most years into our yard; I had a little enclosure for him, fed him well and really loved the little guy. He could and did dig his way out whenever he wanted to do so; and even as a child, I knew the attachment was all on my side. He was a gentle soul by nature, but couldn't have cared less about me.

Ruth,

I guess it's difficult for us to know what reptiles really feel (or don't). I can't say for sure that they don't recognize individuals. Just don't know. Whether reptile or mammal, my rule of thumb is to steer clear of anything that might think of me as lunch and anything with deadly venom. Those 2 groups, in my opinion, don't make for good pets. It's just hard to get really chummy with anything that might rip your face off or inject you with deadly poison.

Even with large mammals like tigers, whenever I see people walking around with one of these magnificent but deadly animals as a pet and saying things about how the animal has never tried to harm them (yet), I'm always reminded of all those cows, chickens, and pigs out in their pastures and cages no doubt thinking the very same thing about us. In other words, all the while as the human thinks of that lion, tiger, croc or other large predator as a pet who has never harmed them, the animal may be viewing his human side-kick as a juicy appetizer he's keeping around for a special, rainy day meal. Just because he hasn't eaten you yet, doesn't mean he isn't planning to. That's my premise.

As for raccoons, I remain amazed at how truly non-confrontational they really are, always choosing retreat over battle if it's an option. I especially amazed at how very different they are from societies view of them. They may be THE most misunderstood of all species. I'm also comforted to know that I don't look like a meal to them.

Today as I was out running errands I was reminded of a show I once saw on APL about unlikely animal friends. There was a house cat whose buddy was a parrot. The two even rode together in the same carrier to go to the vet. The vet said he would not have expected it to work so well, but he could not discount the fact that the two seemed to get along great. I think the owner was very trusting. I would have been afraid that one day I would arrive at my destination to find that my carrier only contained one very chubby cat and a bunch of loose feathers.

Even more incredible was the snake/mouse pair. This guy was keeping a snake in a cage. He would put live mice in the cage to feed the snake, and the snake would promptly eat them. Then one day he puts this one mouse in the cage, and comes back later to find the mouse sleeping beside the snake - and still alive. Days went by, weeks went by. The snake would not eat this one mouse. The guy puts other mice in. The snake eats them, all except this one. The snake and the mouse continued to share the same cage for years. The guy had to buy food for the mouse. No one could explain it. I don't know whether that one mouse scratched behind the snakes ears or promised him massages - or maybe he was a stinky mouse who didn't smell tasty. For whatever reason, the snake wouldn't eat him. Go figure.

Then there was the young female lioness who stole the newborn gnu from its mother and kept it for her own. She didn't eat it and wouldn't let the other lions eat it. Officials think perhaps she had lost her own baby recently and saw the baby gnu as a replacement. They think she recognized it as a baby that needed care and that somehow tapped into her own maternal drive causing her to mother it instead of eating it. Unfortunately, although she apparently really cared for it, her efforts ultimately led to its death because she was unable to feed it. When it died, she still did not eat it, and she behaved like a grieving mother. Very sad.

It's so hard to say what any animal feels. Perhaps in its own way your turtle did appreciate you - or not - hard to say.

I found a yearling on the patio tonight and gave him/her some chicken bones and kibble. It wasn't the one that used to come with Heidi. Looked more like one of Dennis'. Thin, not pg although it could have been Petey. I haven't seen him in a while and this one looked a bit wet/dirty. It's probably wet back there in the forest right now.

Whoever it was clearly knew me well. He/she was walking around at my feet not at all afraid. When I 1st went out, Widget slipped out with me and started after the yearling. The yearling went back behind the patio plants and just stood looking at Widget like he was nuts but made no attempt to fight him. I snatched Widget up to take him back to the house. As soon as I lifted him off the floor, the yearling came out from the pots, came right up to my feet and followed me back over to the door. He made no attempt to bother Widget whom I was carrying under one arm or cause any trouble, just followed along at my feet. I cracked the door and stuck Widget back inside along with a few choice words about staying inside. The yearling stood at my feet watching almost as though amused by us. Then I fed him/her and came back inside. I checked a few times curious to see which food he/she preferred. This one seemed to be eating a little of both. A little chicken. A little kibble. More chicken. Just the way we might eat.

Now that sure sounds like Petey to me. You are so blessed to have been gifted with these Raccoon friends!

That does sound like Petey! He was absolutely confident in you and didn't even have a lick of fear when he first met you, unlike the others.

Love the analogy between livestock's probable view of humans and our role as "masters" when the pet is a large predator: right on target, as always. The story about the snake and his mouse buddy is truly strange. Can't begin to understand or explain that one; but, as mentioned, I really don't have the knack of "reading" what a reptile is thinking/feeling.

I did feed Heidi and the others on the patio the past few nights. It looks like she has all of her kits with her except Petey, but I think that may be Petey who sometimes comes to the door alone. I'm guessing for now although he isn't allowed to hang out with the ladies, they haven't chased him away yet. In the past Heidi's yearling males have often been tolerated in the area until the kits arrive after which they are quickly chased out of 'town'.

I still need to get some batteries for my flashlight - and mow the backyard so I can start going back to the buffet again. It's not a good idea for them to be eating on the patio in summer. If they leave crumbs to attract rats, I don't want snakes attracted to the patio. Of course, they rarely leave anything at all, even dust. esp now that they are all pg.

I remain amazed at how Heidi responds to her name. She can be walking away from the door, ducking to one side to hide out in the camellias. If I just say her name one time, her face will immediately reappear at the door clearly looking at me with a "you rang?" expression. Even Widget is not that responsive. Sometimes I have to call him a few times before he 'hears' me. So amazing. That's one thing I wish you guys could actually see for yourselves.

Also, when I open the door to step outside, Heidi goes under and behind the camellias for cover. When I arrive at her spot on the patio, she is usually still under the camellias. Then I call her name, and she walks out from under the camellias, out from her cover to come over to me. She stands facing me on the patio within arms length. As I tilt the small dog food bag sideways and begin to pour it out in front of her face, she will sniff the bag and then begin eating even while I'm still pouring. There was a time when the bag scared her, but she seems to be over that now.

Heidi is pretty chubby now, so I figure it must not be long before she will disappear for a time to give birth after which it will be another 2 months or so before we will actually see the kits. Seeing the kits will be a very special blessing this year. I had tried to keep this to myself, but I really did not believe I would still be living here to see the kits in 2011. I was afraid we had enjoyed our last year at the buffet. Now, with a job in the offing (Monday), it looks as though I will be here after all.

Edited to fix typo that Sheri pointed out for me below. lol. I actually plan to 'mow' the backyard instead of trying to 'move' it - although the latter would be nice.

Edited again. fixing more typos, including one typo in the explanation about fixing typos.

This message was edited Mar 20, 2011 9:21 AM

This message was edited Mar 20, 2011 6:56 PM

I have a question about something you said in the beginning of your second paragraph. After much thought I need to ask just how you plan on 'moving your back yard'? ^_^

ROTFLMHO, Sheri!

I sure wish I could move my backyard. It would solve my problem regarding whether to sell this house and how to keep the raccoons. However, lol, that was a typo. Thanks for catching it and letting me know. Actually I need to mow the backyard.

^_^ I have seen houses being moved and had the most interesting picture of your yard, complete with privacy fence rolling behind a truck. Raccoon faces, of course, peering over the fence to see what was up!!

Congratulations on the new job Cheryl. I know that the thought of moving away had to be weighing heavily on your mind.

Heidi is truly an amazing creature. I wish I could see her react to your calling her name just once as it would be a moment to remember.

Thank you, Judy!

It REALLY was, especially since...I had no where to move away to! Thank goodness we've turned that page for now. New Chapter.

No promises, but I'll try for a video. By that I mean that I'll try to remember to try to get one before I move them back out to the buffet. That doesn't allow much time, and I don't know if I can even do it due to lighting issues, but I'll try to try. I'd love to be able to show it to you. We'll see.

Sheri,

Forgot to mention that the image of my yard contained by privacy fence being moved along the roadways like a house is adorable, especially with the raccoons peeking over the fence. Very cute.

Ruth,

Master or tasty morsel. It's really all about one's perspective. I just don't get the impression that most owner's of large predators realize this.

I fed the group again tonight out on the patio. Now that my circumstances have changed (even though I really haven't received an actual dime yet), tonight I decided to give a few of those slightly expired eggs to the raccoons along with their meal. Everyone else in the family has had a treat to celebrate my new job, so why not them?

Sometimes they have squabbles out there, but they manage them in such a way as to be more hilarious than scary. They don't fight, they run various combinations of the Steal and the Shove. Sometimes I go to the door and look out to see these strange squabbles. I count the piles of kibble and the raccoons. As long as these 2 variables are equal, I just shake my head and walk away laughing.

Tonight I turned on the light at one point to find the ultra rare 2 headed push-me, pull-you raccoon out there. I had to do a few double takes, seriously, to figure out that one yearling was squatting on top of a pile of food so no one else could eat it - and another yearling was squatting on top of that raccoon. The two raccoon had their bodies aligned perfectly except that their heads were oriented in opposite directions. Thus the bottom raccoon was completely covered by the top raccoon with the exception of her head which appeared to be attached to the rear end of the one, top raccoon.

The bottom raccoon must have been smaller because she was completely overshadowed by the other. The top raccoon appeared to be standing on the ground, and everything seemed normal - except that the top raccoon had two heads, one on either end. Because of the way things were oriented I couldn't actually see the point at which that extra head was attached, but from where I stood it all looked normal - almost - except for that extra head that is.

Neither of the raccoons that comprised the 2 headed push-me pull-you was actually eating. Both were too busy trying to sit on top of the food to keep others from eating it. I shook my head, laughed out loud, and walked away switching the light back off so they could finish their squabbling in private.

Well, that's it for now. Gotta get to sleep. Starting that new job tomorrow, and I know that alarm will come far too early.