OMG - They're All Back!!! Welcome Home, Heidi!

Scutler LOL ~ my brother is a Project (electrical) Engineer. So, yes I know exactly what your talking about. I have known him to stay in the plant on week ends when he has planned on going fishing, etc.
Hehe, I really love the phone thing, tho. That is soooooo funny to picture. :-D

Oh (back to the hospital visit), and between my many naps and my call to the nurses station, I also made several calls to my boyfriends house (because he was keeping my dog) to "torture" my dog by talking to her on the answering machine (while he was at work). I had a blast imagining her looking around the room trying to figure out where I was and how I got in that tiny box. Ha, ha, ha. It's very easy to entertain yourself when your're on heavy pain meds.

I dare say that everybody else was lovin' it, too. I bet the tale of this "loney tunes" callin' to get more meds instead of simply "buzzin'". Yep , I'm sitting here just Smilin' & nobody here to share it with. I usually tell DH this stuff, but he's gone to work. I promise I will sahre it tomorrow, tho.:-D

music,

a few years ago I "hit the wall". Since then I've been trying very hard to maintain some balance in my life. That's when I started gardening, communing with nature, enjoying the color "green" in all its many shades, just trying to learn to "breath" again. Before that, I had been known on more than one occaision to still be in my office when the building was "opened" the following morning! I burned the candle everywhere! I was VERY ambitious! I was, as the VP once said "a force to be reckoned with" in those days. I just didn't have a LIFE.

Then one day after I'd spent about a month holed up in my office driving myself relentlessly to meet one more deadline, I suddenly stopped, looked around the room and realized that I'd been spending all of my waking hours alone in a small room with 4 walls (and often a closed door to avoid interuptions). That's when I realized I could get the same deal in PRISON - and there I wouldn't have to work! That's when I went "over the wall". I went home in the middle of the project, slipped the schedule, took 2 months off to do absolutely nothing, and promised myself a life. (And, surprise, the project was still there when I got back.)

Since then, I've been working 8hrs and going home. Now, I'm pacing myself. My new motto is, "Save something for tomorrow". Oh, sure, the corporate machine isn't quite as happy with the new me, but I like me MUCH better now!

Well, the whole thing is ~ You have to take care of You, becuz nobody else will. And that includes your sanity. My brother doesn't do it too often, only when he has a deadline (past due). I learned that if you don't take life slowly, you miss the most of it. I realized it when I went to Niagara Falls with DH. I have definately looked at like differently since then. ~ Just to slow down & take a breath....because...

Music, I felt exactly the same way when I saw Niagara. All of our concerns, deadlines, priorities, and obsessions seem so much less critical when you've seen that incredible force of nature that just keeps on keeping on 24/7 for thousands of years...

How poetic and well said, music and spartacusaby! I have never seen the falls. I must put that on my list of things to do before ...

music, even though I've kept my word to myself and gone home each day after "roughly" 8 hours, I have worked a bit extra just lately as my deadline looms large. I don't think it's such a bad thing to do every now and then and w/in reason - as long as the balance is maintained overall.

spartacusaby, it is nice to hear from you again. I sort of think of you as my raccoon advisor. I am truly happy for them to see that (despite my "interferance") both Heidi and her kids have moved on and have become amazingly self-sufficient. (I've also been thrilled recently to learn that their forest is not nearly as small as I had though and is edged - and hopefully filled - with a wonderful variety of fruit and nut bearing trees and vines) I wonder, are you at all surprised at this turn of events? That the kids have become independant despite the fact that I provided food for them for much of their earliest months and was will to continue to do so for an indeterminate time? That they went out in search of food when they could have learned to wait at the fence each evening for handouts? What, honestly, were your thoughts about the one kid coming up to me? (I must admit that I was afraid and "I blinked".) I believe that I will see them less and less and eventually no more. As much as I'll miss them, I believe this is as it should be, and I'm thrilled for them. Above all, I am incredibly happy for the opportunity that I was given to be a small part of their lives and to spend time with them as they grew up. Oh, and thanks for all of your advice along the way.

Scutler, I dont' think Heidi is gone for good. The "kids" maybe, but not the momma. I think that next year she will come back to see you with new babies. :-))

And you must go Niagara. We went in Sept. (not so many people). And when you go ~ go & see every angle of the water you can. It's truly a marvel ~ awe-inspiring.

Joey

Hi, Cheryl and everyone. I haven't deserted. Just working on a 'long-hours' project. Not an engineer, but I understand everything you said. I'm a systems analyst. When I said that to the CEO at work at the Xmas party a couple of years ago when he asked 'what do you do for us here?' he asked 'what system are you analyzing for us today?'...clueless. There are women in the field now, but when I started with computers (in high school in the 60's, when I had to take a bus to an all boy's technical school to take classes), there weren't many. oops, just gave away my age. my brother is a mechanical engineer and, according to him, there is no love lost between the engineers and the computer 'guys'. but I work in a hospital and don't run across too many engineers. I like engineers ;0))
I was project manager on an install of a new computer system a couple of years ago. the only whole day I took off for 6 months was Christmas. worked 12 hours on New years day. (the project was going 'live' on Jan. 12). anyway, long story short, I almost had a physical breakdown the week of the go-live. left work one day after 15 hrs. DH picked me up, it was 3 degrees out, I didn't have a coat, and I was too exhausted to go back to my office to get it, so I went home without it and didn't go back for a week. I haven't been the same since. I've been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I now work from home 2 days a week to save the stress of the commute (and I can work in my jammies if I want). I have had to put in some extra hours from time to time (like the last few weeks, but I make it up to myself by taking extra time off (like today). My boss has been good about it. I told him it was either that or I'd be out on long term sick leave. I'd like to retire and play in my garden, do needlework in the winter (and plan for the garden), but I've got a few years to go and I hate to mess a up a pension I've put I lot years into building.

So what's wrong with us? btw, I live about 1/2 hr from Niagara Falls and have lived here all my life. I am awed each and every time I see it. there is nothing like standing right next to that water rushing over...the power (I don't have words).

I think you'll be back next spring with a whole new saga, Cheryl. Heidi has been with you a while. she may be by now and then for a visit and a meal between now and then. if not her, then maybe one of the kids will have some babes to show you. or maybe a family of 'possums will move in. or ostrichs, or elephants, or dinosaurs....

gram

Hey, Cheryl. I know where you are coming from. My husband is a mechanical engineer/project manager for a marking company. I think the phone call to the nurses station is hysterical. I probably would have laughed so hard I would have wet myself. So, anyhow, last night there was a CAT at the raccoon feeding station. Of course I saw it on tape so I couldn't chase it away. Any clues on how to keep the cat away from the raccoon food. This is the second time it has been here. OH, and for the first time, I saw little eyes looking from behind a big tree....seemingly waiting to see where the food was coming from. By the time I got out there, they had gone--either up the tree or back into the woods. But, obviously, someone is getting curious. For some strange reason that makes me happy. And I agree, Heidi WILL be back with the new kids. And the new kids always can count on you if they get stuck. I have one that comes that is either a youngster or a small female (can't tell these things). Good luck on the project--and do take it easy. I am one of the fibro people, who just got diagnosed with sleep apnea. So on the 17th I go for another sleep study with the cpap machine. I am hoping this will keep me from being so drowsy. That is why I'm not here all the time. Really love our little group here, held together by raccoons--:-)) Karen

Grandpa, we must be neighbors. My son has played soccer in Wheatfield. I live in Orleans County, am about 45 minutes or so from the falls. And you are right, you never ever get tired of the view. It always changes and the gardens they put around are awesome also.

I think your Heidi will be back with babies before you know it. I sure have been enjoying your stories.

Debbie

Cheryl, you really need to see Niagara some day; it's an incredible experience. For those of us who are "in to" the natural world, the Falls just sing to your soul. I know I'll want to go back there every few years, just to recharge.

Honestly, I'm not surprised the coon family now visits less frequently. Even raccoons raised by rehabbers become markedly less tame when puberty kicks in; they are learning more advanced hunting and foraging techniques, and are nearly ready to leave mom and siblings. For a while there, I was a bit concerned by the young ones' age to still be with mother; but once I understood how different your climate is from mine, it made perfect sense; the longer they are able to stay with mom, the more they learn, and the better their chances once on their own. You should take real pride in helping to raise a very healthy new generation, and in allowing them to retain the wildness they need to survive.

I was surprised that Trouble approached you so closely and directly; but it sounds like he still has the wariness to make it in the wild - he certainly has the spirit and strength! Maybe he just suffers from insatiable adolescent curiosity - and bravado. It certainly demonstrates the degree of trust they (through their mama and their own experiences) have in you.

I have no doubt at all that Heidi will continue to be a part of your life, and you of hers. Thanks for all you do, and all of us DGers will be looking forward to more great stories.

Debbie...hi, neighbor. nice to meet another western NY'er. that's true about the gardens. on the Canadian side of the falls, the Ontario school of horticulture maintains wonderful gardens that are huge tourist attractions. and there is a butterfly conservatory that is also outstanding.

gram ~a girl~

Have you ever seen the clock made out of roses? It was beautiful last time I saw it. I have heard they possibly switched to a variety of blooming plants, but still just an amazing site.

the floral clock is gorgeous. for those of you not familiar with it, it's a very large outdoor clock made entirely out of living plants. it's different every year and always beautiful.

Yes It Is Gorgeous! And the butterfly "place". It was some kind of arbitorium, I think. But the butterflies were everywhere!

Scutler, your hospital stay is one for the books. The "laughter is the best medicine" books! I highly doubt that you said "in my room" It was probably more like "enn miayyyy ruuuommm"
As for the jobs part, I am another candidate for the HEY, I HAVE GIVEN SO MUCH MORE THAN I HAVE RECEIVED.And even then, it's not about the received part, it's about what we have denied ourselves due to the "job". Took me 22 years to figure that out. I still like my job, but I don't love it like I used too. So now I make sure that I have time to watch the birds and chipmunks in my back yard, read about Heidi and Co. and plant my roses. I listen to some of my 20 something employees talk about a night at the bars looking for the opposite sex, and suddenly I know where the phrase "youth is wasted on the young" comes from. Scutler, there will always be a Heidi in your life.

Hi, everyone! I can't begin to tell you how very, very much I have enjoyed all of your wonderfully supportive posts. Sorry that I haven't had time to respond. Things have been just been SO incredibly out of control, not just "work", but also the garden, the house, the car. I will get back soon to address your individual comments. (Karen, I think the only way to feed raccoons and discourage cats is to put the food about 40ft up in a tree. Cats can go pretty much anywhere raccoon can, but I don't think they are quite as comfortable up high.)

Just wanted to tell you that our little babies are growing up. Sigh. They are ALL so big now that I can't find Heidi in the crowd. And, yes, apparently, miracles DO happen!!! I also can't tell FREIDY from the rest of them. Can you BELIEVE IT? I can't. I really didn't expect her to make it. Only her tail gives her away now. Somehow it still seems a bit odd. Otherwise, she is now almost the same size as the others. She not only LOOKS different, she IS different. Now all 6 of them come right out together. Freidy and the other one that used to be smallish now eat in the group with the "big" guys, all 6 of them together, no more hugging the fence. I think she is going to be ok, now! : ))

They have been back 3 times since my last post. Last Thursday I worked until 7PM. When I got home they were in the yard raiding the feeder. They came back again on Friday night and tonight. Each time I see them Widget is always with me, and we go through the same process. Widget chases them. They run back to the fence (apparently pretending to be afraid of him). I call Widget inside, grab the food stash, and head back out hoping to catch them before they "leave" which borders on humorous because it seems they have memorized this "process" and aren't about to leave. They know I'm coming back with food. Whereas I used to go to the back of the yard, sit on my seat, and call them. Now while I'm getting the food, they are making their way back across the yard so that they meet me about mid way.

They rush towards me, almost fearlessly. They don't show ANY signs of aggression. On approach, their behavior is indistinguishable from a group of pet dogs or cats, each wanting to be 1st to reach the food. The come right up to my feet. I have difficulty putting the food down since I don't want to lean down towards them. They never try to harm me and they never try to grab the food. Tonight I walked "into" them. They backed up. I made it to my seat, sat down, set my bowl of dog food down beside me (where I thought it would be safe) and proceeded to open the box of chicken which I planned to toss out to them. 2 of them came right up beside me to get the dog food. I fussed at them. It barely phased them. They ran back when I tossed the chicken.

They all ate. "Nobody" growled or hissed. Their was no "spitting", no spats. Nobody even tried to chase Freidy away. I gave them buttermilk biscuits, deboned chicken (I got tired of it), chicken bones, green grapes, a jar of grape jelly, and Jim Dandy nuggets. Surprisingly, they left all of that other stuff sitting there while they ate the dog food. I've been a bit lax with my watering chores. They wanted water. One left the huddle where the food was to go and turn over the empty water bowl. (It broke my heart.) There was fresh water in the tall birdbath and I've seen them hop up there before so I know they can get to water. I'll fill the other bowls tomorrow. (Still have to get that wading pool.)

As always, when they reached a certain level of saiety, they dropped the food and walk calmly back into the forest. They would return to complete the meal when I was gone. Ironically, while they are more willing to walk right up to me, they seem less willing to stay very long and eat around me. They also seem a little bit roudy - not aggressive. It's just that whereas they used to sit still for a while, now they are all over the place - puberty? On Friday, I went back inside for more food. When I returned, expecting to find them eating the food I'd left, one of them was standing upright beside my chair smelling the seat. Hmm.

Oh, and every time we see them, little 5lb Widget charges them repeatedly, gets right up in their faces. They seem to have amazing patience. He always returns without a scratch. (They're probably laughing at him in raccoon-ish, and he doesn't know it)

On Thursday, after eating plenty of chicken, one of them walked back over to the feeder which I hadn't taken in yet. I was sitting in a chair only a few feet from the feeder. He stopped short of the feeder, stood upright, looked at me quizically as if trying to decide if it would be ok to grab a few seeds for desert. Then, having decided against it, he turned and loped away. On Friday when I walked out one of them STAYED on the feeder - hanging upside down from his toes on the cylindrical feeder - even as I walked right up to it. I could have reached out and touched him. He just continued shoving the seeds in his mouth. I (gently) fussed at him, insisting that he get down. STILL he ignored me and went on eating. I went on over to feed the others. EVENTUALLY, he dropped to the ground and walked over to join the group. For the most part, they seem to be amazingly calm around me. Now I can even pop open noisy, hard plastic take out containers without them even flinching. (Sounds like I need to give them another bowl of SF seeds of their own.)

Once one of them leaves and returns to the forest, the others will be leaving very soon. When the next to last one goes, it's over. The last one will never stay for more than a moment. I find that odd considering that all of the literature indicates that they are solitary creatures that actually prefer - even NEED - to be alone. I would expect such behavior from "pack" animals. Pack animals are uncomfortable without the pack. It just seems odd coming from "loners". But it's the same every time. Even if the last animal is happily chewing on a choice chunk of chicken carcass, he'll either take it with him or leave it behind, but he will follow the "pack".

Well, they certainly are unpredictable. Sometimes they're gone for weeks, sometimes they're here 3 days out of 6. Go figure.

Thanks so much for being there! The (over)work will surely end soon.

This message was edited Oct 18, 2006 4:30 AM

So good to hear their visits are continuing, maybe once some of the seeds/nuts are done for the season they will be back moe often.Right now I am watching Opie the opossum eat. Sadie was first (as usual) followed by a couple other coons. This is Opie's second visit. I wondered why they had two or three visits during the night until I read that their intestinal tract is pretty short and that their stomachs are empty after ONE hour--so I can see them coming back during the night for a refill before bed :-) That's about it--bed time here. Karen

So glad to hear that Fraidy and the other "runt" are doing so well: good work from you and Heidi! She is teaching them well.

Really glad to hear Fraidy is doing so well. Getting proper socialization from mom. I am watching my coon cam about every other day and still can't figure exactly how many I have that come. (They all look about the same, except for a few: Stubby, the one with hardly any tail; a teenager-smaller than the rest; and sometimes Sadie--by the way she eats and handles her food). Otherwise I think there might be two or three more. Tonight I saw one with a scar on his right side, never noticed him before. I really think we are stable at 5. All come singly, sometimes a little spat ensues, but no really bad fights. Sometime between raccoon visits, in sneaks Opie the opossum for his snack. I just love wildlife. Karen

Scutler, Glad to hear the family if fairing well.
Ditto on the love of Wildlife! I love the things in nature, period.

Joey

This has been such a wonderful saga...thanks so much for sharing it with us. I'm so glad all your kids are thriving and I can't wait to see what the future brings

I thought of you last night, Cheryl! I was checking out what set off the security lights outside my back kitchen door and it was a family of raccoons. I opened the door and talked to them thru the screen door. They all jumped into the trees except one and just clung there watching me. The one that didn't jump was on the other side of the rail outside my door and kept lifting his little head above the rail or peeking at me through the slats.

It is funny how they reacted to the way I spoke to them. I was talking very soothingly and they clearly calmed down. And the little one on the porch I am sure would've come over if Mom (who was on the roof above my head) hadn't been watching closely. I heard a little 'scolding' after I closed the door and came back in.

They are such pretty things!

ps I studied EE too and was a systems engineer for awhile...I am more on the business management side of things now, but get the same glazed over reaction to my job too......

Oct. 30 was the last post. Scutler are you still here? And are your babes still visiting? I'm so full of questions. And I've often wondered, if one of us expires, how would we know. Did their (my) subscription to DG run out? Did they (I) get hit by a car? I know these are not necessarily the most heartwarming questions, but how do we know???Someone can just disappear.....one of the probs with cyberspace, I presume. We have to have faith in Heidi, she has no cyberspace access.

hi, venu209,

Wow. Hit by a car? Yes, I suppose you are right to an extent - about the difficulty in knowing what has/hasn't happened to someone who drops out of "sight" in cyberspace. But, alas, I am still here. (BTW, you can tell if someone's DG subscription has expired/lapsed by clicking on their name which will take you to their DG homepage where that info is located. You can also get some information as to their continued presence on DG or lack thereof from the same page by clicking on the link for threads they started. On mine, for instance, you can see that I recently added a few picks to PF.)

But I am truly honored that you asked - about me and about Heidi and the kids. The past few weeks I've been super busy at work. The week before Thanksgiving we worked 8AM-8PM all week. Whew! Many times (although not during the week before Thanksgiving), I've thought of writing my many musing on the subject of Heidi and her kids, but ...

I have not seen them or any signs of them since well before my last post. At this point, I believe that they are really gone - except, of course, for Heidi who I believe will return in spring with a new family, hopefully to share. I had always known that it would come to this. This, too, is part of the cycle of life. Just as our children must grow up and go forth to find their own way in the world, so, too, did Heidi's kids need to move on. And just as a parent understands that the seeming abandonment is a sign that they have done their job well, that the child is healthy and has developed properly, and is meerly seeking his or her place in the world, so, too, do I understand and not take it personally.

From time to time I remember fondly my time with them, and sometimes I miss them quite a bit. It was a most incredible time, and I was indeed blessed by their presence in my life, however brief. For a while they were here almost every day, and I came to see them as almost a "normal" part of my life, but they were anything but. They were an extraordinary moment in my life - and one which I might so easily have missed had I taken any one of a number of opportunities to alter the course of events along the way. Choices. Options. Alternate paths. Thankfully, I did ultimately embrace this one. How many others, I wonder, did I turn away from over my lifetime and never know?

Only recently did I realize how extraordinary our encounter was. One of my very fondest dreams as a child was to befriend and interact with the wild animals - not trap them, not posses them, not hold on to them, just spend a little time with them when ours paths crossed and have them understand that I was their friend. As we grow up we have to give up some of our childhood fantasies, and so with time I learned and accepted that this could never be, that the wild animals and I would forever be destined to walk seperate paths, that they would always fear me and I them, that I could never communicate with them...and then one day Heidi walked out of the forest, she and I suspended logic, and for a few very magical months our paths entwined and we shared that thing which I had so dreamed of as a child, that thing which few share. For a little while we bridged that forbidden gap between man and "beast" to befriend each other.

Even though I have not seen Heidi or the kids for some time now, I am comforted by the knowledge that they are out there living and enjoying their lives. The kids were all but grown when I last saw them. I have learned to trust that Heidi is quite resorceful, so I am confident now that they are all ok. If you will recall, they made one last visit to demonstrate that even Fraidy and her shy brother had finally embraced life head on. I make several very predictable trips out back to walk the dog each night. As Heidi and the kids are very resourceful, I know that if they are ever down and out and hungry, they know one place where they can always find a hearty meal (and by now they surely know my schedule). Every day that they do not show up for dinner must, therefore, be a day in which they were able to feed themselves. How wonderful is that?

Whatever happens, the memory of the time we spent together will forever live on within me.

I meant to tell you so many things: how much I appreciate that you remain interested in the Heidi story; that, in part, I hadn't written because in the absence of the main character(s) I feared the story would seem hollow; how much I have enjoyed sharing the Heidi story with you; that you can be sure that I will let you know the instant I see her again - and that the jumping up and down will "show" through cyberspace; and that I have been thinking seriously (enough to start pursuing some early leads) about your comments that I should consider writing a book, magazine article, etc. (I'd like to ask some questions on the latter topic, later. I may start another thread for that when time allows.) Also, you can be pretty sure that I will start a thread to discuss any other noteworthy wildlife events in my garden in the future. I hope that you will stay tuned for news on Heidi and her future families, and will keep an eye out for any other animals adventures.

Here, BTW, is the tree where I believe Heidi housed her family. It is located only a few feet from my fence, and in the precise area where she and the kids "streamed" over the fence each night when I called them for dinner.

I am so glad you updated. I have been waiting and was afraid to ask. I have enjoyed all of your stories, and miss the updates. You are right they have grown up and are making lifes of their own. I am sure Heidi will be back this spring.

Debbie

Here is the spot where they used to "stream" (I appologize for being redudant but it is the only word that truly fits the manner in which they seemed to almost flow over that fence like water whenever they heard the dinner bell) over the fence. The tree on the left is the dead/hollow one. The mass of downward facing limbs belongs to the tree on the right - which is actually slightly in front of the dead one - and while the limbs are bare now, in summer the leaves that covered them formed a perfect "shelter" behind and through which the kids could wait and peak out to see who/what was on the other side before venturing over the fence. One of images I hold most dear is that of Trouble as his little head would suddenly pop up, as if out of no where, amidst that mass of branches and leaves - to peak over the fence at me when I called to them. Although the image is burned into my mind, it was a most fleeting image followed by an instant of recognition before he "flew" over the fence with his siblings in tow.

Edited to say that I am smiling even as I write this, remembering that cute little masked face popping up over the top of the fence and the moment of recognition that said "yay, it's you! and it's save to come out". ( I treasure that.) Also edited to point out (LOL) that I am able to show you these pics because the other day I took a bunch of pics of the "Heidi tree" as part of my memories of the little guys and our summer together.

This message was edited Nov 30, 2006 11:53 PM

Thank you, Debbie! I really do appreciate hearing from those of you who remain interested in the story. And I sure do hope that Heidi will be back in spring. Raiding the feeder in spring and summer followed by no feeder activity in winter fits a 5 year pattern which I now understand in terms of her youngsters and which helps me to believe that this lull is but a part of the overall pattern that will bring her back again soon.

Another look at the Heidi tree (and one which would have been good for Halloween). Not a substitute for pics of Heidi and the kids but I thought it would help to give you perspective on the setting.

This is an old one. I don't think I posted it before...but it's getting hard to keep up with them all.

I know that I didn't post this one before (another old one, of course). In retrospect it is amazing how calm they were when I picked up the camera (a large nikon), aimed it at them, and set off a series of clicks and flashes (in the dark). I was, afterall, sitting only a few feet from them. However, you will notice that the little guy up front on the right is expressing a bit of angst at this sudden activity.

I'm glad to hear from you, too, Scutler!! I hope your work load is going to calm down soon so you can actually live. I'm looking forward to future installments of the Heidi series as Spring comes back. In the meantime, remember I have dibs on a copy of your book! LOL :-)

As always, your post looking back on the year's experience was lovely and so on target. It is indeed very very rare to have an opportunity to share our lives with the wild creatures - and even more rare to be able to do so without putting the wild ones at risk for harm later in their lives (by becoming accustomed to people). Do write that book, or article, or whatever the spirit moves you to write - if you can find the time in a busy life to do it!

I see you are sure enjoying your racoons. It concerns me a little. I love watching wildlife, but sometimes feeding can teach animals to rely on humans and that causes problems. Racoons here are a nusance animal. We are over run with them. They can be an extreamly visious animal, I am so glad that you have been keeping a distance. I alway told the kids that if you love them, let them stay wild. I am glad to see so many people excited about wildlife. There is so much to learn and they are so fun to watch!
my favorite racoon story is one where my son, when young, caught many crayfish and built a huge exlaborate sand home for them, swimming pools etc. He put the crayfish in a bucket for the night and hid it under a chair. He was going to release them the next day. The next day came and the bucket was tipped over. All there were left was claws and racoon prints in the sand. That racoon had found a treasure waiting for him that night.

Scutler, I'm so glad that you have given us the opportunity to "share" in this saga of the racoons and when Heidi returns this spring with her new babies I hope that you share that as well. And on the mag. or book ~ will you post here to let us know how things are going? Or if you have posted a new thread? I would like to keep track....

Joey

It is good to hear from you. missed the postings and not just about the raccoons. you have such a wonderful way of writing. (again a push toward the book LOL). I can see why Heidi would pick that tree. I was smiling as I read, too.

gram

Thanks, Marylyn, spartacusaby, Joey, gram. So nice to hear from each of you and to know that you are still there and interested in the Heidi story.

That little writing "seed" that some of you planted a while back has begun to sprout. While still a fragile seedling, it is growing, however slowly. I will keep you informed. As I mentioned, I'd like to get your views on some things and expect to discuss that later in a seperate thread. When the time comes, I will post a link here because I definitely want to get the views and opinions of those of you who have followed the original saga and those who planted the "garden". (Now if we can just get the seedling past the damping off stage.)

spartacusaby, I do hope that my actions have not put the kids at risk. Based on their behavior, I believe they will be ok. When they were tiny "tots" they practically lived in the relative safety of my back yard garden which was just across the fence from their tree and which surely had fewer potential risks than the forest at large. In those days they showed little fear of me. As they grew toward adulthood, however, that began to change, perhaps because of their natural instincts, perhaps due to Heidi's teachings. When they were very young I could often walk up to them while they were hanging from the bird or hbird feeders and they'd just look at me like, "Hi, what's the problem?" Later they learned to "head for the hills" (or the forest, in this case) when I opened the door to go out; but would stop and come back to me as soon as they knew it was me. At that stage, even though they ran when I opened the door, I could always see them loping away. Then, as we approached "the end", they learned the typical "stealth" behavior such that even if they were out there scarfing down bird seed, by the time I got out the door they would be either gone or hiding somewhere nearby, the only indication of their former presence a swinging feeder or the behavior of my dog upon encountering the lingering scent trail. I could call them back at that point. They still knew me, my scent, the sound of my voice, etc and would come back to eat when called. Although they showed an amazing degree of trust as they ate and drank so close to me, they always remained on guard, watching not only me but also always alert to the slightest indication of activity in the neighbor's yards, fleeing instantly from the sound of a neighbor's door opening, dog barking, etc. It seemed as though they had "correctly" learned a nominal degree of trust for me while maintaining their natural fear of contact with people in general. All along, as they grew, there were clear steps in there movement away from me and towards the forest.

Hi, cpartschick.

I'm guessing that you are new to the thread and that you have likely missed some of the early information (as it's a 3 part series). Although as a child I dreamed of "talking" to the animals, as an adult I share your concerns about encouraging them to see us as a source of food. If you go back to the beginning of the 1st thread, you will see that all of this 1st started when Heidi just climbed down the fence one day and started following me around the yard. I started the 1st thread after my repeated attempts to "drive" here away had failed. I came here for advice, to see if anyone could tell me how to humanely deter her from this behavior - and to ask if anyone knew what the heck she wanted. Back then I was terrified of her, having been repeatedly indoctinated throughout my life to fear raccoons and the potential threat of rabies and to avoid them at all cost - yet completely without provocation I had found myself walking around the yard with an adult raccoon in tow.

My pursuit of both an explanation for Heidi's behavior and a solution eventually led me to a wildlife rehabber at an organization called Keeper of the Wild (apparently there are 2 such organizations, a national one and the local SC one to which I refer here). Having dealt with numerous raccoons (in this area) she amazingly and, we would eventually learn, correctly identified the situation as one in which Heidi was a lactating female with tiny and very vulnerable babies nearby - just a few feet from my fence it turned out - and was desperate to find food for herself without leaving her defenseless babies alone long enough to go out hunting. I should add that I had seen Heidi a few times before over the course of the 5+ years since I had moved here. Most of the year she presented no problem. Each year during the abundance of spring (which always confused me) she would suddenly begin to raid the feeder. (That was the only "bad" thing she ever did BTW.) Each year when this started, I would take the feeder in at night and she would come earlier and earlier each everning to raid it before I could take it away.

It seems the tiny newborns are at high risk of predation while the mother is out searching for enough food to sustain lactation. Apparently, over the years Heidi had chosen to raise her babies beside my fence where she would be close to the dependable food source of the birdfeeder which was always stuffed with black oil sunflower seeds. I guess with time she grew accustomed to me and learned to "trust" me to a degree. For some reason, last spring she went a step forward and apparently approached me for help. The rehabber felt that her hunger and fear for the lives of her babies had made her desperate enough to risk contact with me in pursuit of food. The rehabber also theorized that she may have been one of the many raccoons in this area that are stolen from the wild as babies, raised by people, and then "dumped" back into the wild when their adolescent behavior become untenable. Many such raccoons require the help of rehabbers to learn to hunt and live in the wild. If she had been raised by humans, in her desperation to find food, she would have remembered that humans had fed her before, and that might explain her "choice" to come to me for help.

She said that "it's hard out there (in the forest)", and much to my surprise, as the "don't feed the animals" mantra had been drilled into my head since birth, she asked (in a tone that I will not soon forget, an almost pleading tone that belied a true concern for the animal) if I would consider putting some dry dog food out for her during this difficult time (nursing), suggesting that I put it as far from my house as possible and preferably on the other side of the fence. As I can't get over the 6ft fence, I started tossing edible and compostable bags (made from 100% corn) filled with various food items over the fence each day - always through the same gap in the forest foliage. For a very long time I did not see or hear any sign of her. Back then I often felt as if I were feeding an empty "hole" in the forest. Then one evening I walked up to the fence, reared back to toss the bag, and saw 3 adorable little baby raccoons perched on the limbs of the tree beside the gap where I always tossed the food. The small tree was right up against the fence, its branches protruding into my yard, the raccoon babies sitting on limbs atop the fence only about 2 feet from me. While that was the 1st time I had seen them, it seemed clear that they had seen (and heard and smelled) me many, many times before as I had hoisted food over that fence each day. I had been trying to feed their mom; but they had grown up with me there everyday almost since their birth. They "knew" me as the creature that brought them food so they weren't particularly afraid of me.

Anyhow, that's a bit of history on how all of this began. In those days (and even now to a much lesser extent), I was very much concerned about the possibility that they might try to move in to my attic or something. The rehabber said that raccoons really don't want to be around us and that Heidi would go back to the forest as soon as this crisis was over. Well, I fell for them and fed them longer and more up close than I was supposed to, so apparently while they were young Heidi stayed to avail her family of opportunity to grow strong, but when the time came she took them away and went back into the forest just the same.

You are the 2nd person to express the idea of raccoons as a nuisance animal and as visious and undesirable. I notice that in both cases, this view comes from people who live in the colder northern region of the country. I have read that there are some distinct differences between the raccoons that inhabit colder areas and those here in the south. Ours are some 15-20 lbs lighter/smaller, tend to be less aggressive, and whereas yours must consume enough food in late summer and early fall to survive a winter hybernation, ours do not hybernate. Here, while they are avoided due to the potential rabies risk, they rarely cause problems and are not viewed as the same kind of nuisance as their northern relatives. It seems that in your area with the shortened growing season and the harsh winters, starvation is a very real threat for raccoons. Here, well, it's 8:27PM on Dec 1 and my AC is running. Outside, my roses are still in full bloom and one determined dahlia is still going strong. Need I say more? The growing season here is virtually 365 days/yr, and there appears to be such an ample supply of natural food available that the raccoons really don't need to depend on us for food.

Don't get me wrong, I, too, have been concerned about the potential risks of inviting a family of raccoons to adopt my home as theirs. I think the very best contradiction to the concern of teaching the raccoons to depend on food handouts from humans is the fact that all six of the raccoons are GONE, having left of their own accord, having walked away to take up their natural place in the wild even as I stood there waving dog biscuits behind them. Apparently, as long as there is enough food out there to support them, raccoons don't want to rely on human handouts; they want to support themselves. Again, it appears to me that there is an obvious difference between "here" and "there" in that the climate here supports ample food year round and raccoons can hunt, scavenge, and feed throughout the winter without risk from the elements.

During all of this I never touched any of them, never made any attemp to do so. One of them, the one I called Trouble for his unbridled pursuit of every new challenge, came near me a few times; I think he was as curious about me as I was about them. Still, he never touched me nor I him. While they were somewhat comfortable with me and would come near me if I remained still, they would never let me approach them or even reach out to "hand" them a dog biscuit.

I feel compelled to clarify one thing though. They were never vicious or aggressive around me, never. And I hasten to add that they were amazingly patient with my 5 lb Maltese dog who persisted in rushing them and "attacking" them every single time he saw them in the yard and yet they never harmed him, not even a scratch. I have no doubt that they are AMPLY capable of defending themselves if necessary and that they would do so if pushed, but I was careful always to leave them an escape route and never to make threatening moves. They never showed any sign of aggression toward me or Widget (my dog) - even though Widget never passed up an opportunity to try to provoke them.

I do understand your concern. For me this was an unexpected but very special opportunity. I'm not advocating it for everyone. There are risks involved, and I hope that I have not failed to acknowledge them. Still, as I pointed out in one of my soap-box moments, life is nothing if not an endless series of risks. I believe that I made an informed decision to go forward with and embrace this opportunity. I did harbor fears that my behavior might lead the raccoons to adopt behavior that would be disruptive to me (i.e., destroy my house). Since Heidi had never shown an indication to do anything like that, I was hopeful that she would not, but I had decided that if it came to that I would vow to find a solution that did not force them to suffer the consequences of my behavior. But it seems now that that ship has likely already sailed. They are gone, have been gone for quite a while. There is absolutely no evidence of their presence now. The feeder goes unraided. The last time (a month or so ago now) that I put food out for them (salmon, chicken,etc) it was still there the next morning.