Hi, Ruth,
I was typing while you were posting. Glad to hear that you think the place I described will be a good home for Trouble. Like I said, judging from the behavior of the foxes (which I don't often see around town) and the deer, I think it's a secret wildlife sanctuary.
As for feeding Trouble and Heidi at seperate stations, I've figured out (from Trouble's behavior and body language on previous nights) that this will only work if I give him the same menu she gets and in ample quantity. They can smell well enough to know if the other one has something else they might prefer. If they detect it's more of the same and they each have plenty, hopefully it will be ok. Another thing that helps is that these days Heidi is eating pretty fast, perhaps because she knows that Trouble may show up and take her food.
Glad you mentioned that about scrutinizing faces, coats for ID. I've already noticed some differences, but will want more to be as sure as possible. Heidi and Trouble have more in common in terms of color and face pattern than do Heidi and Fraidy, unfortunately. Right now, Heidi is visibly "fatter". Last year I found that if I could look at her face I could always tell which one was Heidi. It was a "knowing" just like when you know your friends, and family when you see them. I couldn't describe what was unique about her, I just knew her when I saw her. This year, I've been forgetting to turn the lights on so I rarely get to see her face. Anyhow, I don't want to depend on that. I like your idea of determining exactly what the differences are and putting it into operational terminology.
I know someone who has traps, but I think I'll order one of the Havaharts from Lea Valley Tool. They have one labelled as Raccoon size. I saw it recently when I was buying a "rat" size one [to try if I need to trap more meals for Snowball]. Good to hear BTW that raccoons won't likely go inside if it's too small. I was concerned about that with the "rat" size trap. Didn't want Trouble or Heidi getting "stuck" in there.
So you think Trouble will learn to live off the land and do well there? I know he's been eating on his own all winter, and I saw (and photographed) him climbing trees and eating grapes and things last summer.
Heidi Watch '07
Yes, I really think Trouble will do well there. The biggest problem with many release sites, especially in urban areas, is that they're too small for the population they carry, and newcomers therefore get in trouble. That is certainly not a problem with the site you have in mind! Lots of different habitats, from your description, including some human sites to raid for leftovers. Trouble has been living on his own since last fall; and though any animal will happily accept handouts rather than hunt, he is young and healthy and knows what to do. Heidi did teach him well, remember, even if he is behaving like an ungrateful adolescent bully lately.
>>There is a lot of food in and around my yard for wildlife.
WOW -- sounds like a wonderful buffet for the wildlife!!
Are they both still coming back nightly? Mine are still not regular yet-seems to depend more on this horrid weather we have. Right now we are having a bad spring cold snap--several days of freezing and cold. My poor daffodils and tulips are drooping and I think some have died. What a shame. I think this is going to go on for another week or so. But I still have been getting one to four raccoons a night. The "early" one that doesn't run from the flashlight, I believe is Sadie. I haven't seen her in the last couple days. Wonder exactly if that means babies or???? Karen
Karen,
Last night I was too exhausted to stay, just put the food out and left - seperate bowls, of course, a mix of dog food, sunflower seeds, and whole grain bread. Tonight, one raccoon was under the feeder when I went out. I was sure it was Trouble. I took out dog food with a generous scoop of sunflower seeds, 2 dishes.
As I was walking out, he ran back over the fence. It took him a few minutes to return. When he did so, he walked past the new feeding station and directly to the on where Heidi used to eat, the one that he has recently taken over. As I watched him eat, I kept trying to convince myself that he was Heidi, but I could not. He is slightly smaller, perhaps just less "chubbie". His face has the most contrast of any of the 3. It's quite a "handsome" raccoon face. The white is a clean white. The mask is practically black, making for a sharp, clean contrast.
Moreover, he doesn't act like Heidi. He "sat" wrong for Heidi. He was disturbed by sounds that Heidi ignores. He reacted to sounds by standing up. Heidi never does that. She lifts her head and listens.
He was over 1/2 way through with his food and still no sign of another raccoon, but still, I knew he was not Heidi. He kept looking over his shoulder and even turning around, almost between every other bite, watching the fence behind him. I was surprised to see how "jumpy" he was about whoever he expected to see coming over that fence, because it had to be Heidi he was watching out for. That made me think he isn't so completely fearless about having taken her food, after all. He looked like he was afraid she was going to pounce on him any minute.
It was interesting to watch him eat. The dog food chunks, being larger, were on top, the seeds on bottom. He had a shallow dish. He ate some dog food chunks, then he sat back, pushed them aside with his paws and scooped up some seeds. He continued to eat a few chunks of dog food interleaved by a few handfuls of seeds, much the way that we eat.
Finally, and as always as quietly as a ghost, Heidi descended the fence, walked over to her new dish and began eating. I caught a glimpse of her face as she lifted it and the light hit it. Yes, this was Heidi.
Both raccoons continued to eat without incident. After a while, I heard a sound and turned to look back toward the house. When I turned back, Heidi was on the fence 1/2 way up. I called to her. She stopped. For a while she hung from the fence post, neither ascending nor descending. I called to her 2 more times. She dropped to the ground and returned to her dish. The sound that she had run from had not been particularly eventful. I had turned to see if my dog was on the back door. As the sound was one she had heard many times before, I was surprised by her reaction. Later, I wondered if the fact that I had reacted to the sound had caused her to think it might be something of concern. I've seen on nature shows, that animals often run even when other species around them sound some kind of alarm. Perhaps because I don't usually pay attention to the sounds, my reaction to this one made it seem potentially more threatening. Who knows.
After a while, I left. They were eating peacefully. I had made sure to give both of them more than they could likely eat, opting to be wasteful for now to keep the peace. Anyhow, I knew that Snowball would be by soon to check for leftovers.
Sorry to hear that you guys are having such severe weather still. It is unseasonably cold here, but nothing like what you are experiencing I'm sure. I was surprised on Saturday morning to see that some of the plants had sustained damage. I am not accustomed to seeing that around here. The new leaves on the hydrangeas were damaged. Some things were oddly "hit and miss". One clematis bloom was damaged. Other blooms on the same plant were fine. A few leaves on one side of a newly emerging peony hung limp. I've honestly never seen that kind of thing here.
Glad to hear that the separate feeding continues to go well: hope that will continue! Also sounds like you're making a good start to noting differences in coloring/pattern between Heidi and Trouble.
We had record low temps here all weekend, and it is still darn cold. Very sad: so many plants had started to grow, and some to bloom, because of the previous warm weather. The bleeding hearts were blooming, now just limp greenery on the ground. The tulips look stoned; can't even hold up their heads. Maybe a late April Fool's joke on the part of mother nature....
To be honest, I am barely able to discuss tonight's events. In brief, it was a free for all, and you needed a program to keep the players straight.
As I often do, I took a nap after work. I awoke quite late. Groggy, I staggered to the door, realizing that I'd left the feeder out way too long in the presence of hungry raccoons. A raccoon ran from the feeder as I opened the door.
I filled both bowl to overflowing. Due to the limitations of space, the 2nd bowl is situated such that it is in total darkness beneath the shadow of a large oak.
A few minutes apart, 2 racoons came down the fence, growled at each other, then took up their places at the 2 bowls and began to eat peacefully. Then a small raccoon that I took to be Fraidy appeared atop the fence. Straddling the fence, 2 feet on the top rail on each side, back bowed to clear the pointed tops of the vertical fence boards, she walked along the top of the fence looking much like the classic Halloween cat.
The raccoon at bowl #1 turned and growled/grunted at her menacingly. She must have been quite hungry because she did not relent but rather dropped to the ground and stood for a moment beside the fence post. Suddenly, the raccoon at bowl #1 left his dish to charge at her. She ran back up the fence and disappeared into the forest.
Almost immediately she reappeared some 20ft down the fence. My mind was struggling to determine how that might be possible when I she suddenly reappeared in the original spot, and I realized that yet a 4th raccoon had joined the mix.
After that all heck broke out, and everything happened faster than my eyes and brain could make sense of it all in the semi-darkness. The 2 raccoons on the fence jumped down. The raccoon at bowl #1 (who, incidentally was not Heidi), rushed them. A fight broke out between Fraidy and the raccoon from bowl #1. At the same time, I saw in my peripheral vision a face with such extreme contrast as to be visible even as it made its way to one side of the fighting pair and through the a row of hydrangeas beneath the shadow of a large weeping willow to my left. It was moving quickly in my direction.
As if all this were not enough to take in, at that very moment yet a 5th raccoon, this one quite large leaped from the fence and with supreme confidence took control of bowl #1. The raccon that had been defending bowl #1 made on attempt to argue with this newcomer. Amidst all this action, I found the rush of the oncoming raccoon unsettling. Quckly, I rose from my seat and headed toward the house.
After a few steps, I looked back to see that raccoon #4 had already reached my now deserted seat and was sniffing it curiously. As I reached the 1/2 way mark to the house, I again looked back to see the same raccoon still following me. I disappeared into the house.
Tonight's events are at best daunting, if not disturbing. I find that I am reminded once again of the importance of being open to the joys that may reside in the events you have rather than always seeking to force the events you want. With that thought, I believe the Heidi saga has come full circle such that I find myself back where I started. After all, that 1st day when Heid stepped out of the forest, I did not want her to stay in my yard. Before I eventually calmed down enough to allow events to unfold as they would, I 1st tried to chase her away. Something to think about right now even as I'm feeling a bit down about recent events...because they don't coincide with my picture of what this season should be like.
At this moment, while things are looking down, I hope you won't think it poor timing, but I'd like to lighten the mood a bit by showing you a photo of one of my other friends from the wild: http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=3368926
OK, I'm really confused at this point, as I'm sure you are also. The one you describe as Fraidy matches her previous appearance and behavior, but who the heck was everyone else? Was Trouble the one who charged Fraidy and then lost the bowl to raccoon #5? And who the heck was that? Was Trouble the one who approached you? No way in the dark and the chaos, but I wish we had a better inkling of who was who to help us understand just what happened. My thoughts are with you, Cheryl; that had to be a very disturbing experience all around.
Wow. I don't even know what to think. Maybe one of the new ones was Heidi's newest boyfriend? And the one coming to you, either Heidi or Trouble looking for protection from you?? Maybe they were the rest of the other kids? Interesting dynamics. Keep us informed.
Karen
I don't know if any of you joined the raccoon watchers email list, but yesterday and today two different people were talking about how they have gotten brave enough to pet the coons since they have been coming so long. Kind of heartwarming. I would recommend joining if you like raccoons since the number of posts are pretty low and your mailbox won't be overwhelmed. Some of those posts are what made me think that perhaps Trouble was running to Cheryle for protection from the nasty new comers. Who really knows? If you want to join the raccoon watchers list, just send an empty email to: raccoonwatchers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com And go from there. You would have to be approved by the owner, but tht is to keep out spam. I would love to see some of you there. YOur input would be good. (No I don't own the list). Lyn Hancock the wildlife writer (and past raccoon owner) has joined and her posts are enjoyable. So Cheryle what happened tonight? Karen
Hi everyone,
Sorry I've been AWOL. Between recent events with the raccoons, exhaustion, and sinus pain due to changes in the weather, well, I just needed a time out. Last night I came home, did the minimum, and went to bed very early. Still have the sinus issues, but am otherwise feeling much better. Sorry to have left you hanging.
Last night I didn't feed the raccoons. I really needed that timeout to process everything that had happened. As I lay in bed in the dark, I thought of Heidi out there alone and hungry. Not being there for her was very difficult for me. But last night I just couldn't cope with all the fighting and such. I think I needed some time to process all the changes, accept what was even if it differed from what I'd wanted, and decide on a course of action.
By late afternoon today, I was again looking forward to seeing Heidi. I had gotten a grip so to speak, and was ready to deal with and accept the new comers. That's right. Accept. I was prepared to relocate Trouble, but I can't relocate the entire forest. This isn't the way I had planned this season, but for the time being at least, it appears to be the way that this season is.
This new turn of events and the arrival of the other raccoons does seem an imposition; yet I am reminded that Heidi's arrival last summer seemed at 1st to also be an imposition as well. Having a wild raccoon climb down the fence and take up residence in my backyard didn't match my plans at the time, but once I accepted and embraced that opportunity, just look great it turned out and how much she enriched my experience.
Life is an adventure but only if we are open to the experiences it offers. At moments such as this when I find that my attempts to impose my will on events starts to lead to ever more convoluted circumstances, I'm inclined to think it best to reevaluate everything in view of the possibility that my plans may be out of sync with the way things are meant to be. I think it's time to stop trying to steer the events of this season in the direction I want them to go, and start accepting and even enjoying the way they are. Maybe this new experience will be great. Maybe it won't. Either way, it's the path I'm on.
Ruth,
Last night I was too disheartened to talk about it, and I couldn't really answer any questions about what happened because it all happened so fast. Between the speed at which events occurred, the darkness, I was unable to say who was who. I found that all the more disturbing. Most of all, I was disturbed by the haunting, nagging realization that this new turn of events was beyond my control - that, as I mentioned above, I could not relocate the entire forest.
I should clarify, though, that the raccoon that came to me or at me the other night, did not really charge me. Even with all that was going on, I never felt as though that raccoon intended to harm me. I was just overwhelmed at the moment by the confusion of being surrounded by so many "strangers" in the dark, not knowing who was who and who was coming toward me and by the violence breaking out around me. Lastly, in addition to these things, I decided to walk away from the situation and from the raccoon that was advancing on me because I had already put all the food into the 2 bowls and so had nothing to offer the hungry raccoon anyhow. And with the violence, I felt it best to retreat.
Tonight, however, having accepted what is, I went out once again to feed the raccoons. Tonight things became much more clear. Tonight there were some surprising answers, at least to some of the questions. Most of all, once my attitude had changed and I was feeling less threatened, things went much better.
When I got home this evening I saw that a fair amount of sf seeds had been eaten from the birdfeeder. Either an eagle family had stopped by or Heidi and/or Trouble had helped themselves to a snack.
Before dark, I checked the fridge to see what I might find in there for my furry friends. I found the large honeydew that I still hadn't cut along with the 2 cantaloupes. I cut one cantaloupe and the honeydew in half. Both were very ripe, but no overripe. Both were very sweet and juicy. The cantaloupe was among the best I've had. I scooped out some but not all of the honeydew from one half and put it aside as part of their dinner. The cantaloupe, while incredibly sweet, had 2 quarter sized soft spots on the outside. I cut away a substantial slice surrounding each spot. These slices also went into the collection for the raccoons. I sliced the cantaloupe and removed the rind from each slice. Just in case, I placed the rind sections in the dinner bucket as well. To that I added a cup of rice from the Chinese restaurant, lots of dry dog food, and a few scoops of sunflower seeds.
As I opened the door to go out (and it was still quite light out), my dog Widget slipped through my legs and rushed out. I was unable to stop him or to call him back. He ran to the feeding area and as I chased him down I caught a quick glimpse of a raccoon waiting patiently at the feeding station. The raccoon rushed over the fence as Widget approached. Thinking that it was likely either Heidi or Trouble, I was most annoyed with Widget for chasing him/her away. I scolded Widge and put him inside then proceeded to put the food out.
As I only had one honeydew half which I had not cut into smaller pieces, I decided to try something new. I put the honeydew beside the newly established feeding station, the one that Heidi had been using. The rice had been firmly packed into one of those takeout cartons so that it remained "solid" and retained the shape of the package. I cut it in half, placing 1/2 in each bowl. I then split the dog food, seeds, cantaloupe slices, and rind between the 2 bowls. This time, however, I kept an ample quantity of dog food mixed with sunflower seed in case I needed to feed any extra raccoons.
Within minutes, Trouble appeared. I saw him walking down the trunk of a very tall oak in the forest, the same oak, in fact, where I'd seen him retreat late last summer. He walked directly to the original dish and started eating . This was a good sign. So far my "trick" was working. They each had the same things, but I had (1) put a bit more in Heidi's dish and (2) given her the entire honeydew 1/2 in addition. He had taken up his position without noticing that she had more.
As I waited for Heidi (and perhaps the others) to join us, I enjoyed watching Trouble eat. Trouble likes to sit upright more as he eats. Although he started with some dog food, he quickly moved to the cantaloupe slices. This was the 1st time I had offered them sliced melon rather than 1/2 and whole melons. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him as he picked up the slice between his 2 front paws and ate it. That he, too, enjoyed a sweet cantaloupe was all too clear.
Another raccoon appeared. It came down the same post Heidi uses, and as it was about her size, I assumed it was her. The position of the new feeding station has the advantage of being somewhat isolated such that the raccoon at that station had managed, at least while i was there, to avoid the feud. It has the disadvantage, however, of being so isolated behind some shrubs and the composter and so in the shadows of the large oak tree that I can't really see Heidi over there - so I don't get to enjoy her company.
The one thing i found odd both the other night and again tonight was that she 1st headed toward the original dish turning back to eat at the new station only when threatened by Trouble. This just seemed most odd to me because on all other nights since the new dish had been added, Heidi had gone directly to it. Her age and accumulated wisdom seemed such that choosing the dish no one was using was the obvious choice. Walking past it now and toward the dish where Trouble was eating, only to turn back when threatened was a small thing but still seemed out of character for her, a red flag waving in the breeze.
As I could not see her over there eating in the dark, I focused on Trouble. By that time he had found the rice. As it was so firmly molded into the square shape of its prior package, he picked it up (1/2c) between his front paws and sat back to eat it. I watched quite mesmerized as he ate.
Then another raccoon appeared atop the fence. It came from the section of fence by the cherry tree, the one where Snowball hangs out, the side opposite the Heidi tree. It came down the post just behind Trouble who turned to issue a threat lest this new comer try to take his dish. The new comer veered around Trouble. In an instant I knew that this raccoon was trying to come to me. This was the raccoon that had tried to come to me the other night. Even though it was still way back by the fence, I somehow knew that its intent was to get around Trouble and come to me.
The raccoon made its way around Trouble by walking quietly through the edge of the perrenials. Tonight, having taken that timeout to adjust my attitude and get a grip, I was not afraid of this "stranger" that was now approaching me. Having passed well beyond Trouble, the new raccoon stepped back from the perrenial bed onto the lawn some 5ft in front of me. It was a sweet face, a familiar face...OMG, it was Heidi! Both nights I had been so certain that the raccoon over there eating in the shadows behind the composter was Heidi, my mind had been closed. This was Heidi. I felt so foolish. The other night, the raccoon that had tried to come to me was Heidi. When she arrived the other night both bowls were taken, so she had come to me...
Tonight, thankfully i had a container of food to toss to her. Because she was so close, I had difficulty throwing handfuls of nickel sized nuggets to her without hitting her. Several times I missed, and nuggets pummeled her like hail. She flinched a bit and braced for the impact but did not run away. Oh, yes, THIS was Heidi. I fed her all that I had, and she stayed with me which worked out great because the other 2 new raccoons were afraid to come near me, so even though they fought with Trouble from time to time, they couldn't bother Heidi.
While the other 3 (the 3rd raccoon showed up just after Heidi) argued and squabbled over the 2 bowls, Heidi and I were off by ourselves just like old times. When I ran out of food, I walked back to the house for the box of puppy biscuits for her. All the other ran away (briefly) as I returned, except Heidi who sat patiently awaiting my return. I fed her puppy biscuits until she was full. Then she turned and quietly left.
There is more...at least more about the others, but as it is now quite late, I must get to sleep. To be continued...
Cheryl, I completely understand that there was no way to identify the raccoons the other night in the darkness and chaos; I was just asking the questions I know were running through your mind also. I understood that the coon who approached you wasn't threatening, which is why I thought it might be Trouble following his usual pattern. You're certainly right in thinking that one can't relocate an entire forest, and I'll be very interested to hear more about tonight's episode. Keep the faith; sounds like you have a very sane attitude toward all of it.
I was typing at the same time as you. Fascinating, and great news actually! If Heidi is willing to closely approach you for food, it should be possible to ensure her food supply despite squabbles among the others. Not to mention giving you an opportunity to get to know her even better....
Ruth,
I understood what you were saying, reflecting on what happended. It came across quite well. I was just explaining that the other night I was pretty disheartened by the fighting and such, so much so that I couldn't bring myself event to discuss it.
Actually, when she started towards me the other night - and it all happened in seconds and in the dark she was just a masked face - I was confused because for a moment it was as if I had TWO Trouble's. I had known that the one that was eating from the 1st bowl was Trouble. Then the one coming toward me seemed to have both his distinctive face and his behavior of coming to me. But it all makes sense now. Heidi and Trouble have very similiar faces. Both have good contrast and similiar color, except that Trouble (when seen closer and in light) has more contrast, darker dark and whiter white, and his face is narrower.
Heidi doesn't come as close to me as Trouble. Trouble will walk right up to me. I have to stop him. Heidi stops 4-5 ft away. When you think about it this isn't a real change. Before the others came on the scene, Heidi came up to her bowl with me sitting close by; so in a way, she's doing the same thing. It's just that since the others have taken over the area back by the fence she has moved up to where I now sit.
I was SO happy to realize that she trusted me enough to solve the problem by coming to me - and felt bad (not to mention silly) that I'd run away from her the last night. Oh, well, at least she didn't hold a grudge.
Ok, I must sleep now. The other day I was 2hrs late because I had to get more sleep! It's a wonder I have a job.;-)
Yes, another reason for loving animals: their refusal to hold a grudge. Each encounter starts fresh with them; don't you wish we had that ability on occasion? I suspect that Heidi understood your retreat the other night: that was a very disturbing scene all around.
At this rate, the raccoon population is going to keep your refrigerator very well depleted...
I'm so glad it is Heidi. Keep up the good work. Did she look pregnant or post-partum?? I think Trouble would like to be your friend. Get food from you and be a pet. Interesting dynamics. If Heidi continues to chase the old family out, will Trouble stay to be with you? He seems a little bit attached to you. Karen
When I left the other night, Heidi went over to my bench, I guess maybe to see if I had left her anything. When I looked back at one point, she was sniffing my seat - to learn more about me maybe? I've read that dog, for instance, because their sense of smell is many times greater than ours can "read" a tremendous amount of information from another animals scent: gender, approx age, status, health, etc. For them running around sniffing scent information is a little like reading the morning paper or email is to us.
Funny thing is last night, except for the stuff from the fridge, I actually took out less food than I had been the last few nights. With any luck maybe they will encourage me to keep the fridge cleaned out - not let things go "green" at the back of the shelf.
Yes, although I had been prepared to try to feed "whoever" it was who was seeking me out, I was thrilled to see that it was Heid. About the babies, I can't tell. The one thing I did notice last night and had noticed several nights earlier is that she seems noticably less mobile when climbing UP the fence - but not down. I don't know if that's an age thing or pregnancy thing. About 1/2 way up she seems to almost "hang" for a moment and her shape looks heavy/large at the "bottom", the bottom in this case (hard to explain) seems to be a portion of girth/weight (mid to lower back) hanging from her front and back feet - like a sling. She seems to ascend that post much more slowly than I remember. It doesn't look as easy for her as it always did before.
I love raccoons. I’ve been feeding the raccoons since we moved here 5 years ago. I had to quit making “pets” of them after they decided it was OK to come in the house through the cat door. I still feed them but I don’t go outside and “tame” them now. I just watch them from the window now, but I miss being outside with them all around me. LOL with Heidi and family.
Great photo, sheeba. They are SO adorable.
Wasn't it you who had the thread last summer with the photo(s) of the raccoon in your house? The one where I posted asking how you got him back outside?
I'm curious. Is rabies a big problem in OK? That may be a dumb question. I just don't know whether it's possible that some parts of the country may not have to worry so much about rabies as others. It is a problem here. I've never known of a case, either human or animal, but it is something I feel I must keep in mind when around them. (Wishing for an island without rabies.)
Yeah, I was the one with the raccoon sleeping in the window blinds. I know they warn about raccoons and skunks (we have them too) carrying rabies, but I've never heard of any in Oklahoma. I, too, wish the world were free of the terrible disease. But I guess it is possible. I'd be very leery of any animal that acted strangely.
I'm glad there is someone else out there that loves the wild creatures as much as I do.
Cheryl,
how have the "kids" been behaving?
teehee... i need my Heidi fix for the day.
Terese
Hi Terese!
Thank you for asking.
The kids have been doing well, and I have so much to tell you guys. I've been eager to share the details of the last few days but have been unable to write much due to severe sinus pain and pressure which in turn led to pain and pressure in a problematic tooth with roots in the sinus region.
Today I started writing some of the story but did not post it. I'm feeling a little better right now and will try to finish that post and get it out soon.
Below is the part I started some time early Saturday afternoon.
Well it's hot outside, there's a storm on the horizon AND I just broke my $1000 camera, which is only 1yr old and which I couldn't afford to start with; so I think I'll take a break now and discuss the world according to raccoons.
Last night I took out a variety and quantity (2 trips) of food including: rinds from 2 cantaloupes, a pint of white rice (molded to shape of Chinese takeout container and cut into 4ths), an entire med size seedless watermelon (good color, decent flavor, subpar texture), and a pocket full of dog biscuits and another full of my dog's yogurt candy treats. In an attempt to capitalize on what I learned the past few days, I filled the 2 bowls with the rice and melon rinds adding 2 watermelon chunks to each but kept the good stuff with me, including the majority of the watermelon. This I reasoned would allow me more flexibility and better control in determining who would get it.
This time Heidi showed up 1st. Lately she has been coming over the fence from a different area - which may suggest that her tree has been taken over or that she has found another site for the kids this year. The original dish is closest to her new entry point and as it had not yet been claimed she went to it. She nosed around the large quantity of food in the dish but did not eat anything right away. It was clear that these foods did not appeal to her at the moment. I tossed a dog biscuit 1/2 way between us. I could see that she was reluctant to give up her bowl to seek the single treat. I tossed another beside her (my aim is getting a little better with all this practice.). She ate it, and I continued to toss others beside her. After she had eaten a few, she cast one last look at the bowl of rice and melon rinds and then decided to come to me and accept the risk that I may not have or give her enough food and that the dish might be claimed by another raccoon.
Just like people, I'm finding that each raccoon has its own taste preferences. As I've mentioned before Heidi is on a health food kick. If she were a person she would be shopping at Whole Foods. She doesn't seem to care for the white rice and has never shown any interest in candy, cookies, chips, etc. She likes lean chicken, nuts, dog food, yogurt, whole grain bread, and a little melon. She stayed with me and ate all of the dog biscuits I had, but when I tossed the dog candies to her, she ignored them. So, thinking that maybe she didn't SEE them in the dark since they are a little smaller than a Hershey's kiss (LOL at silly human), I tried tossing more of them to her over and over. She never SAW (LOL) any of them.
This time I tried something different with the watermelon. Instead of leaving it whole - which I thought would lead to fighting, I took a large knife out with me, and while they ate, I chopped and sliced the melon into small, manageable chunks and mini slices only slightly larger than you might find at a salad bar. When Heidi had eaten all of the dog biscuits, it was time to try to interest her in some watermelon.
The activity of slicing the melon at my feet while Heidi was eating only 4-5ft away was, I think, a step forward in establishing trust. Each raccoon also has its own comfort zone around me. Even though Trouble will walk right up to me, if I move at all he will run all the way back to the fence. Heid, on the other hand, will remain at the 5ft distance even when I am moving, even slicing the melon, a somewhat violent act, and will come as close as 2.5 ft to reach out and grab something while watching me like a hawk.
Tossing her the watermelon chunks would also be a test in trust. Even the smaller sized chunks would still be much heavier than dog biscuits. I was concerned that she might bolt when a 4" chunk of melon landed near her. I held the juicy, red chunk of melon out at arms length and low in front of me, showing it to her. In doing so, it was my hope that she would then understand that the heavy item falling beside her was food and not a weapon. Surprisingly, that actually worked. Rather than risk frightening her with melon boulders while she was eating, I waited until she had finished each one, then showed her another one before tossing it to her.
I wish that you could all have been there to watch her eat the melon chunks (rind attached). And oh how I longed for a camera. It was such an adorable moment. If you are ever feeding raccoons put melon chunks on your list of things to try. She picked it up, turned it over, held it on the ground between her front paws, rind down,and took a big, big bite. With each bite she sat back a bit on her haunches and lifted her head up to chew the melon before taking another bite. As she did so, the look on her face said it all, "Mmmm. This is Yummy!"
In Contrast, Trouble has consistently shown a love of sweets: stealing the hummingbird nectar, eating cookies, coming to me the other day when I held the empty dish with syrup still on it. He seemed to enjoy the white rice, nibbled every scrap of cantaloupe from the rinds, ate his watermelon chunks with a fervor not unlike his mom's, and later has he approached me in search of more, he DID see and gobble up every one of those dog candies I'd try to give Heidi.
...more to come but I thought I'd go ahead and post this part to anyone who might be waiting...while I continue to type
Edited because, oops, In my effort to save the stuff I did this afternoon, edit, finish, and paste it back, I ended up with some duplication. oops again!
This message was edited Apr 15, 2007 3:43 AM
I'd like to hear she is taking the larger parts of melon from your hand, but maybe that is asking too much for her right now. Karen
Karen,
I'm pretty sure that Trouble would be willing to do that, but then he was raised around me. Heidi, as far as we know, was raised in the wild so I figure it is a bit more of a stretch for her. Keeping away from humans has kept her alive all these years. Anyhow, she has to think not only about herself but also about her unborn babies.
As I mentioned earlier, on this occasion (Friday evening actually), I had filled the 2 bowls to overflowing with the rice and melon, mostly rind portions and had kept the better foods with me. This worked out quite well. Although Heidi initially took a position at one of the bowls, I was able to persuade her to give that up and come over to me where I could feed her the dog biscuits and watermelon chunks. A bit later Trouble came down and took the postition she had claimed earlier while the other 2 shared the remaining, newer position over in the shadows. Except for some very minor threats there was no bickering, and everyone seemed to get a fair amount to eat. Heidi ate her fill of dog biscuits and watermelon, and left long before even 1/2 the watermelon chunks were gone.
Even before Heidi left I had tossed a few more chunks of melon over to the others as needed. Then when I knew that she had eaten all she wanted, I continued to feed watermelon to the others until Trouble also left. At that point I left as well.
At some point during the meal, Trouble tried to leave his dish (which still had food) and come over to eat with Heidi (and me). Quite surprisingly, she sent him packing immediately. Much later, after she had left he came over in my direction. He stopped along the way to eat the candies I'd tossed on the ground earlier. By that point he had apparently already eaten all the rice and melon he could hold and was just trolling for desert.
I still had a dish full of watermelon chunks at my feet, but I didn't figure he wanted them since he had passed a few on the way over. Eventually, he made his way all the way up to my feet. I kept still. He looked up at me for a long minute or so then sniffed the melon at my feet before turning to walk away apparently convinced that I had nothing more of interest. It was the 1st time I had ever let him come up to me and leave on his own, the first time I'd stuck it out without losing my nerve and moving so as to scare him away.
There have on a few occasions this season been as many as 5 raccoons in the yard (including Heidi). Lately, there have only been 4. I don't really know a lot about the other 2 raccoons (besides Heidi and Trouble). For a while I figured, as many of you probably did, that these were all Heidi's kids. Recently, however, I have decided that while 1 of the 5 may have been Fraidy, it is most unlikely that either of the other 2 are Heidi's kids from last season.
The 2 that are showing up now do not trust me at all. Since I established the new feeding station over in the shadows and behind the composter, that is where they eat. They sneak down the fence quietly and disappear over there in the shadows. If they need to walk past me, and I mean some 20-30ft away, they crouch down a bit like cats and slink past. Even their faces indicate that they want nothing to do with me, are not even particularly curious. I am just a necessary evil to them, and I believe they are only willing to come out to eat near me because they see the others doing so.
I have also noticed that there seem to be 2 distinct groups. Heidi and Trouble vs these other 2. Even though Heidi comes and goes alone and I don't think she is "living" with Trouble, they behave like acquaintances if not friends. The other 2 seem to show up together. They share the same feeding station with minimal grumbling if any. Even though their meal times overlap, the 2 groups arrive seperately and seem to mostly avoid each other except for the occasional conflicts that occur "at the borders".
I know almost nothing about 1 of them. She avoids me entirely. I see her only rarely and as a dark figure making her way over to the shadows to eat.
The other is quite large. I am inclined to think it is a male. His coloring is very different from that of Heidi or any of her kids. He is a mid tone with minimal contrast and something of a muted yellow tint. Whereas Heidi and Trouble have coats that range from almost white to almost black, this raccoon's lightest light is a yellowed beige while his darkest dark is a med dark brown with shades of tan in between. The 2 most interesting things I've noticed about him are his status and his language.
He seems to wield a great deal of power. Everyone jumps to attention when he arrives on the scene and yields the right of way to him. It is clear that he is the boss, and everyone is afraid of upsetting him. I now realize that he is the one that Trouble was concerned about the time some nights ago when Trouble arrived 1st to eat but kept looking over his shoulder nervously after every bite. At the time, not knowing about the presence of this other fella, I had wondered why Trouble would react that way about Heidi even after he had successfully taken her dish. In view of this new information, it now makes sense.
On Satuday night, Heidi, who was leaving, and Trouble who had been eating nearby both went over to greet him very briefly, none to nose, when he arrived on the scene. Their demeanor suggested a sort of obligatory "sucking up". This encounter was extremely brief, lasting only seconds each.
Lastly, he makes a most unique sound. I have never heard it before from any of the others. It is so unique that the 1st few times I heard it I wasn't at all sure that he was actually uttering that sound. I have tremendous difficulty even trying to describe it but will do my best however inadequate. It is something of a high frequency chirping or clicking. The 1st few times I heard it, I thought it was metal very slowly scraping on metal under high pressure like nails on a chaulk board, but was unable to find anythng in the area to account for the sound. Saturday night when Trouble greeted him he made this sound. I seems to contain more intelligence than the other sounds the raccoons routinely make. By intelligence in this case, I refer not to "smarts" but to the Communications meaning of the word as data contained in a signal or sound.
This new sound is so unusual it borders on scarey. More on that later.
That nasty storm that has been moving across the country has been moving through our area last night and today. We were without power almost all day. Just got power back. Haven't even had a chance to check the news and see what's going on. The wind is still very rough here. It was a bit scarey today because I knew this was a potentially bad storm, and I was alone without power and, therefore, without any way to get news, alerts, etc.
I hope that all of you are ok out there, especially those in the path of the storm. Ruth, I imagine that you have been getting some part of the storm today, too. Best wishes for your safety.
I wasn't sure if Heidi would even come out last night. The gusts of wind were sufficient to turn over lawn furniture. Between the howling wind and the dancing trees my dog was too terrified to even go out there and do his routine. Still, I figured she had to eat, so I went out there with the usual foods. I only put a small amount in the dishes and kept the rest with me in case no one showed up.
Only Heidi and Trouble came out, and Heidi was pretty jumpy. At times the leaves/branches of weeping willow beside us were almost horizontal as the wind whipped them out around us. The forest limbs bent and swayed constantly. I had remembered to leave the lights on outside this time. The wind whipping the trees all about so violently cast frightful shadows against the greyed boards of the privacy fence.
To make matters worse for Heidi, the neighborhood was lit up like a Christmas tree. It seemed as though everyone had left their flood lights on, perhaps due to the impending storm. It would seem to me that the constantly changing sounds and images and all of the motion of the trees would flood Heidi's senses with too much data to sort out, making it difficult to detect the real threats for all of the other storm related information.
Tonight was even worse, but since she came out last night I figured there was a chance she would come out tonight as well. (I knew things were rough out there this morning when I opened the back door and a frog tried to wrestle his way into the house.) Tonight, having run low on options, I took, among other things, a large can of Pedigree dog food, but it was ground not cuts and gravy and had been in my pantry for more than 2 yrs; so I figured it was safe. (I have a few more cans left from that period. If anyone has any reason to think they aren't safe, please let me know. Otherwise, I will probably feed them to the raccoons.)
Tonight I went out at dusk. I could still see pretty well out there. I had just sat down on my bench and was daydreaming a bit as I waited. Then as my eyes scanned the tree line along the top of the fence I suddenly became aware of the figure crouching there ever so still just watching me. It was Heidi. I hadn't seen her arrive, didn't know how long she had been there. It seemed oddly comical to me at the time, her sitting there so still, quietly watch me and me daydreaming, unaware of the watcher.
I called to her, and she came down to eat. Trouble came shortly thereafter. They seem to be getting along much better lately. She fussed at him, and he went to the other dish. When he finished the food over there he wanted to come to me, but she stopped him. He seemed a bit less assertive tonight, perhaps he too was put off by the weather? At one point they ended up together near me eating dog biscuits I was tossing to them - just like old times. I was thinking maybe that is part of the solution to dealing with multiple raccoons. That's how I did it last summer with the kids - tossing dog biscuits in a wide enough area for all to eat and making sure to keep everybody's "plate" full.
Tonight I took out the very last few chunks of the watermelon. Again, I enjoyed watching Heidi eat it. Again I fussed at myself for not having taken the camera along. Assuming the camera will still take photos, I'm going to make a point to take it out next week to try for some photos.
Last night I was really "sick" about the camera. It was an expensive "toy", the cost of which I could not justify to begin with. I take lots of pictures of my flowers and garden as resources for artwork I hope to do someday when time allows. I had become so frustrated with the limitations of my 2M Kodack, and had gone out on a limb to get this camera. It takes wonderful photos and does a pretty good job of compensating for my lack of photography skills, so I was just "sick" when I "broke" it.
I had dropped it off the bench outside, less than 2ft and onto a cushion of grass.After that I was surprised to find that although it would still take pictures and they still looked fine, I had to turn it of and back on, essentially reboot, after every photo. A quick check online showed that the dreaded "System Error 2" is a very common problem with my camera. Apparently everyone gets it sooner or later, some even as soon as 2 wks after purchase and for no apparent reason. It means the camera must go back to Nikon for repair. Ick.
From the info online the repair may take anywhere from 2 wks to who knows how long, and depending on which country the camera was actually made in, it may have to do international travel. This is a very bad time (garden wise) to be without a camera. New blooms open daily. Some are a one time show that will only last a few days. So I can't be without the camera and I can't imagine rebooting the camera between every shot for any length of time. Not to mention, I need to take pictures of Heidi and the new kids. Well, I guess I'll just have to buy another camera I can't afford - as a backup. (I have a theory: while money is finite, negative money appears relatively unlimited. Right? Ok, kidding)
Ok, enough ramblings about my camera. That's not what you tuned in for. It's just that the thing has become an extension of my right arm! And now it's damaged. (With no camera to speak of and no electricity to power the internet, I got a lot of yard work done today inspite of the weather. Hmm.)
Ok, Focus. Back to raccoons. Tonight while I was waiting for the raccoons to appear, I heard some "fighting" coming from the forest. It was definitely raccoons. I was reminded of Ruth's words about these kinds of "noises". This seems to play into my theory about the other 2 raccoons. I don't know who the female is, but for a while now have been inclined to think that the male is here because of her - and therefore may be leaving soon.
Again, may each of you and your loved ones be safe in the storm.
Isn't this weather just too weird? It's snowing here for heaven's sake, in the middle of April. Not accumulating, fortunately, but still... And the winds are just ferocious; this area is famous for high winds, but these are on another level altogether. Our poor plants, that got burned and blasted by last weekend's record low temps, are now getting blown to kingdom come. We invested in a generator last winter, after one too many episodes of replacing everything in the fridge following a power failure; so at least we'll stay warm and well-fed.
So sorry to hear about your camera, Cheryl; that is a heart-breaker, especially at this time of year. Hope you'll be able to get another during the lengthy repair process.
Lots of fascinating news from the raccoon world. So you've been entertaining the neighborhood king of the hill, aka studmuffin: no wonder the natives have been restless. I suspected as the story was going along that the two unfamiliar raccoons might be a courting couple, but the sounds from the forest make that highly likely. Yes, his studliness may now move on; but since he's discovered a 24-hour diner, it's also possible he might hang around, at least when there are no nearby girls in season. And who in the world would be foolish enough to challenge his right to do so? These guys are consummate survivors, and it's fascinating to watch them. I've actually heard the sound you describe him making, but I can't describe it well either: truly an eerie sound, and I wish I knew what it meant.
Heidi probably has picked a new nesting site for this year; I believe that's the norm in most cases, and with Trouble hanging around it's a given. You seem to have found a great way to keep discord at a minimum: congratulations! That's awesome, and not an easy feat. I never tired of watching raccoons eat; their manual dexterity is just intriguing. Primates have it, too, of course, but they seem designed for it, as we are; for raccoons it seems so unlikely that they have evolved to be so capable with really rudimentary "hands."
Here's to better weather and working cameras!
They certainly are dexterous. As you know, we don't have an IR light right now, so I can't really see what they are doing--unless I shine a bright light through the window and watch it on the tv. Amazingly, 2 nights ago, there was one standing on the squirrel feeder. It is one with a box, a lid that lifts up and a little porch just the width of the box. It didn't run away, as usual with the light. S/he sat balanced on the edges of the box, it's side holding the door open and just ate as she pleased out of the shelled peanuts. Amazing. Too bad I can't hold the light and take a pic of the tv all at the same time. Hubby sent for some components to make up a new brighter IR light. Who knows when it will get done.
OH--and there is one smaller raccoon that visits the double tree right next to the end of the house/dog run. I started putting a small bowl of food at the bottom of that tree (not close to where the other guys eat)--and the food is gone in the morning. During the early hours this am, I saw her (I'll say her cause she's smaller). I went out on the porch and talked to her. She didn't run way up the tree, but a few feet and was watching me. I could see her face well when she wasn't hiding from the light, and she is soooo adorable. I was talking to her, even went into the house got some more cookies and went back outside (freezing weather, blowing wind, rain) with a coat on this time. I went out the dog run to her tree. Of course she ran up pretty high when I came near the tree. I put the extra cookies in her bowl and came back into the house. In a few minutes I went outside with the light and she had come down almost the whole way, and stayed there while I talked to her, then after awhile, she hid. So I went back inside and tried to watch with the light from the window. She finally came the whole way down and ate the cookies, after which she left. She is the one that comes closest to the house and I don't know why, because the food isn't here-unless she has been eyeing the bird feeders on the porch??? I hope she doesn't ever come up there because of the dogs. I don't need any raccoon/dog fights. I am sure my husband would come out and shoot the raccoon to protect the dogs, and I don't want that. Anyhow, it is so cute to see her and I still wonder what she is doing so close to the house?? Karen
Something close to the house must be drawing her, Karen, since her behavior shows she has the appropriate wariness of human contact/interaction. Maybe the bird feeders on porch, or is there dog food in the run that she might be smelling? You definitely want to avoid dog/raccoon conflicts, for the sake of all concerned. Don't know the laws in your part of PA; but in most areas, dogs must undergo a lengthy quarantine if they tangle with a coon, even if the dog has a valid rabies vaccine. And if the raccoon can be caught, he/she is always euthanized and tested for rabies; that's true everywhere in the country, I believe. Though we have all learned through our experience with them that the majority of raccoons are healthy, rabies has no cure; so the authorities treat it with deadly seriousness.
I'd love to see that number with the squirrel feeder: very clever!
I am calling the one that comes to the tree next to the house "Little One" since she is so young. Last night she was back. She will stay and look at me awhile before she hides from the light. But when I went out to put out her food, she ran way up the tree. But she always comes down when I go in the house. Last night I got my husband to see her. He says "Oh, she's a young one." So MAYBE tonight, if I wait long enough, get my husband with the camera, we can surprise her with the light and he can get her picture. We'll have to see. Our darn camera waits a few seconds before flashing and she may have time to hide.
Well, the turkeys are back, second time this morning. Everyone looking for food these days. The squirrels knocked off the feeding bowl onto the porch, so I have to go clean it up before the dogs go out--or they will gobble the seeds and poop seeds for days. Never a dull moment with wild and tame animals!! Life would be boring without them. Start getting pics of your birds at the feeders, I'd like to start a thread with that, as soon as I crop a bunch of mine. Karen
Karen -- Little One probably is looking for some birdseed or dog food or something like that. Even though I feed the raccoons, I still have to take the birdseed in at night except in winter when the raccoons are goine. I even have to take the hummingbird feeder in to keep them from drinking the nectar. Still they tend to prowl about the back of the house just to see what they can find.
Ruth -- I finally got around to sending an email to petsage asking for dog food recommendation for Widget. Never got a response. Since I'm running out I went ahead and bought something that I thought he would like. Since he loves vegetables and fruits and well as meat, I went with Fromm Duck and sweet pototatoe dry. Then I ordered a smaller 5lb bag of another brand, can't recall name right now made from chicken, apples, and a variety of vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower. He looses his mind every time he sees me eating an apple, and he can eat his weight in broc. and caul.
BUT, NOW I see that Nature Balance has recalled all of its Venison varieties - apparently including dry. I'm having trouble getting a lot of info on this so if anyone has the complete info let me know. This is REALLY bad because that is one of the pricey types, not grocery store, not veteriniarian, and per the ingredients list doesn't include wheat gluten. YIKES! Is noting safe! Also, there had been a lul in recall and I was hoping the worst was over.
Only dog food is in the small bowl I leave at the bottom of her tree. Earlier she was out there and she actually climbed the whole way down the tree and was thinking of walking toward the dog run fence, when she thought better of it and went up the tree. I went in and got a couple dog biscuits for her bowl, and she still wouldn't come down. I saw she had eaten the cookies and peanuts and was leaving the dog food for last. So I put a couple dog biscuits on top and came back in the house. Just checked now and no one is out. Think I'll get to bed early tonight. I tried pictures, but they didn't work well. Karen
Cheryl, I'm really surprised that you didn't get a reply from PetSage; I always hear back from them promptly. You truly can trust anything from their website; I've done so for years. I'm not familiar with the Fromm brand; hope Widget will like it and do well on it. For whatever it's worth, our dogs and cats eat Pinnacle dry, which PetSage carries, and have done well on it for years. The cats also get canned food, and we feed a variety of brands including Wellness, Merrick, PetGuard and others. The one exception is the cat who is allergic to fish, Miss Mallow [she's a Manx, round and white like a marshmallow, but a diva - hence Miss Mallow]. This is a real dietary problem since almost all cat formulas, both dry and canned, contain at least fish oil; she eats California Natural dry and a very limited selection of canned.
We had recently bought a bag of the Nature's Balance venison formula when we ran out of her usual dry; she hated it. We then tried to feed it to the other cats, and they also hated it. In retrospect, thank goodness... The problem with this food is quite different from the earlier recalls; apparently there's a problem with some of the fats in the food. Not lethal, likely to cause diarrhea if it causes any problem. All five of our cats at least tried a couple pieces of it, and no one got sick. Thank goodness! I think we're seeing an increased degree of care and attention to pet foods, thanks to the original disaster, which is quite welcome; they seem to have decided to recall anything remotely questionable: exactly what they should do. Would like to see the trend continue indefinitely.
Incidentally, I saw online that a class action suit is already in the works against the pet food manufacturers involved in the earlier recall, intending to recover vet costs, etc. Hope they're able to hit them where they hurt, in the profit margin.
Maybe my email got lost in the ether somewhere in route. I'll have to try again. I was surprised when I didn't hear from them. They shipped my order super fast, however. I chose the food based on the ingredients. I know that Widget loves veggies and fruits - as well as, of course, meat; so I chose two with lots of his favorite veggies. Some had more grains; he's never shown a great love of grains.
Miss Mallow - love the name! Too cute. Some friends of mine had one that was also a butterball - and with attitude to spare, very Garfield.
As for Heidi, 2 nights ago when I went out, no one showed right away. I only put a small amout of food in each bowl. Soon I heard that bizarre clicking sound that Romeo makes. I saw a raccoon in the branch of the Heidi tree. The branch shook, and I expected to see him pop into the yard, but he didn't . Moments later raccoons were chasing each other up a nearby tree. It looked more "playful" than violent. As I was feeding more mosquitos than raccoons I left early and without putting out a lot of food - since with Romeo and Juliet so close by and no sign of Heidi and Trouble, I feared they would not get it anyhow.
Last night when I went out, Heidi was on the bird feeder. She ran back toward the forest when I opened the door, but much to my surprise, when I got to the middle of the yard, she came rushing (not running, but definitely race walking) toward me. When she reached me, I had not even gotten to my bench much less the feeding area. I tossed a handful of dog food behind her to push her back a bit.
She ate very, very fast and with the enthusiasm of the half starved. When Trouble showed up she ran back a few steps to threaten him. Lately she has become much more assertive with him, and he has been listening better. I tossed him some food farther back to break up the spat.
Heidi ate super fast and exited quickly. I had the feeling that she didn't want to be around when Romeo showed up.
I'm going to go on a small detour for a moment, but only for a single post. For those who only want to read about the raccoon adventures, I can understand that; so I've arranged this so that you can just skip this post and pick up with the next one. I will pick up with tonight's raccoon tales in my next post below. Now for a quick detour...
Folks, it has been one of those weeks. We've all had them I'm sure. You know, those times when you're thinking that your life would make a good sitcom. I've mentioned a few times here that lately I'm overwhelmed with all that needs to be done. Actually, I'm [temporarily I hope] living in crisis mode. About 3yrs ago I embarked on a period of accidents and surgeries and subsequent recovery during which I was until very recently unable to do anything without extreme pain; consequently, everything around me went undone for 2+ years, everything but the absolute necessities. Now I find myself under what at times seems like a mountain of things which absolutely must be done last week or sooner. So it is that for now I am juggling crises after crises while I play catch up. That in part led to my week from heck.
Now all this "catch up" stuff is in conflict with my 9-5 job. Lately, I've found myself needing to be off from work all too often, a day here, a few hours there, in an effort to get all those things done. At times I fear that my customer may decide to trade me in for a "full time" worker.
So Monday I was late to work because I had to stop by and pick up my new eye glasses. My old glasses were 3+ yrs old. The prescription needed tweaking, the style was dated, and I'd had to engineer an embarrasing fix for the broken nose bridge thing. As the eye doctor's office is only open M-F 9-4 except on the 2 days when they close at 1PM, picking my glasses up on the way to work was the least costly option in terms of time off from work.
Tuesday I am embarrassed to admit that I had to take the morning off because, well, somehow I forgot all about taxes. I know, I know, it's not like I didn't know 367 days ahead of time that the tax deadline was coming, but, what can I say, while I was rushing around juggling all the balls, oops, I missed one.
After I finished my mini-breakdown, I got the taxes taken care of and got to work by noon. In the 1PM meeting, I suddenly developed a horrendous allergy attack from heck. I have chronic allergies issues, but thankfully only have this kind of total allergy crisis once or twice a year. For the remainder of the day and well into the night it looked as though I had the flu. In my office while trying to see how many times I could sneeze without stopping to breath, I went through 1/2 box of tissues. At home I was well on my way to finishing yet another box, my nose and eyes were wet and puffy. I'd taken 2x the allowed dosage of both decongestant and antihistamine, yet the water works continued unabated until I finally fell asleep around 4AM.
So today, Wednesday, I none the less dragged myself out of bed at 7AM determined not to be late for work yet again. I had a 9AM dental appointment, but as I had already been late for work every day this week, I opted to reschedule the dental appointment. I just thought it would be nice if I could make an effort to get to work on time for a change. I awoke to find that I had no hot water. I figured - and HOPED (as otherwise I'd need to take even more time off from work to get it repaired]- the breaker was likely tripped as a result of the recent storm related power outages and subsequent surges. So, I started this lovely day with a nice ice cold shower! Ouch, that will wake you up for sure.
On my way to the office, I was making good time when suddenly my eyes conveyed to my brain an image that set off alarm bells. It took a moment or so to process the information. I have to admit that I don't look at all those "extranious" gages and such on the dash of the car. Still some remote corner of my brain had noticed a pattern matching difference between the picture of the dash as my eyes normally transmit it and as it looked this morning. Daydreaming, it took me a moment to make sense of this new data. 'H', 'H', needle on 'H', past 'H' really, buried in the dash on the other side of 'H'. Temp = 'H'. OMG, not good! Car is about to incinerate! Pull over!
So, after swerving to avoid hitting the car in my blindspot when I tried to make that quick dash to the right to get off the freeway ASAP, I managed to pull into the parking lot of my local Lowe's home improvement store. Then, having accepted that now I would surely be late for work yet AGAIN and that my car might well be gravely ill AND that the latter might necessitate even more time off from work to acquire a new car, I looked at the stack of suit jackets beside me on the passenger's seat and the collection of miscellaneous trash on the floor over there and the library of work related books in the back seat along with those cut down boxes I'd been planning to take to recycling and realized that I wasn't going to have much of a chance to clean the car out before my auto mechanic got it - so for future reference add "and keep the car clean" to that old saying about making sure to wear clean undies.
It was at that moment that I learned that my cell phone had just 2 bars of power left. I had bought one of those things to quickly recharge the phone and even power it - and i was to learn that none of the 4 cables/connectors that came with the device would fit my phone. To add to the chaos, while I had a phone, I had no phone numbers for this sort of thing. I'd planned to join AAA, but hadn't gotten that far down on the todo list yet - suddenly that item had moved to the top of the list. Trying not to panic, I made a quick call to my office to let them know I'd be late, then called the auto dealership (the one number I did have in phone storage) to arrange for my cars surgery. Naturally, since I was quickly loosing power, the service dept wouldn't pick up and I had to make 3-4 calls.
Finally, I got through. Now they would be expecting my car, and they had given me the number of a towing service. I was down to 1 bar. The towing service said they MIGHT be able to tow the car sometime in the late afternoon. Arggg! Now what? 1/2 bar left, I called a friend. Thankfully, he was in his office, and he said he'd be right there. As I awaited his arrival, my mind was racing. What to do next?
Ah, get him to take me for a rental car. Then I could go home, use the phone directory, call around for someone to tow the car, etc, etc. My friend arrived and took me to a nearby rental car place. They had no available cars - in Charleston?! So we drove around looking for another place...Found one. They had a car. Oops! Some time back I had taken all the credit cards out of my purse and put them away for SAFE KEEPING. Oh, I had kept 1 in the purse...but it was the one that I'd never gotten around to reactivating after they sent me the newest one. You know, that 800 number you have to call...from your HOME phone, not your cell phone. So I borrowed my friends cell (mine was dead), called the cc customer service, navigated the "press 2087 for blah, blah, blah" menu, and finally got the card activated and got the rental car. Whew!
So that's how my week has been going. After I drove back to clean out my poor, ailing car, and found someone who could tow it to the dealership, it was mid afternoon and I was a sleep deprived wreck, so I came home and took a nap. (Oh, and BTW while cleaning out the car I found a phone book amidst the stack of reference books in the back seat; some time ago I'd put it back there just for times like this.)
A few hours later I awoke and thought this would be a nice day to take the [broken] camera out and try to get some photos of Heidi and the gang. BUT...then I remembered that I still had not addressed the problem of the hot water heater. By the time I finished deciphering the breaker panel and resetting the appropriate breaker, Widget announced his need to go outside. It was still quite light out so I thought for sure I had time to let him out and go back for the camera before going out to feed the raccoons...