Heidi: Now Where The Heck Are Those Kids?

I just a lurker, but have been enjoying your story all along and your pics. Please don't stop . : )

Hi, June! They'll be back, I'm sure. Sometimes one or more of mine take leave of absence for a day or so in summer and regardless how good the food is, they all leave in fall - this seems to be their summer home. Although i miss them when they are gone, I'm happy to know that they can still take care of themselves.

As for tearing up the bird feeder, lol, tell me about it. I use a squirrel proof feeder with springs - I'd love to feed the squirrels, too, but I have dozens of them here so they eat everything in one day and keep the birds away. I have to buy a couple of feeders per year because once the raccoons get through using them for a jungle gym they don't work so well anymore. Funniest thing - and I must get a photo to explain this properly - Heidi has learned how to turn the little plastic insets that keep the seeds from falling out of the ports upside down so that they have the opposite effect, channeling the seeds out like a funnel; when I come back to refill the thing after she raids it, I don't know whether to laugh or be frustrated when the seeds pour out on the ground while I'm pouring them in. The raccoons even manage to bend the rought iron sheperd's hooks, even finally broke the feet off of one. I used to get angry with them, now I just think of them as mischevious children.

Hi, starlight! Thank you so much for letting me know that you enjoy the thread. It's really very helpful to hear from those of you who are reading and enjoying the Heidi story. I must say that I found the wording of your request quite touching. Thank you!

I enjoy sharing the day to day adventures of life with wild raccoons in the backyard with all of you, so as long as you guys are here, I expect that I will be here, too. : )
Still, just due to the many other demands on my time, I may not always be able to write daily. (Last night it was 2AM by the time I got to bed. I wrote about 1 paragraph but decided I should get my z's - work come's early. They night before I had done so much physical work outside that i came in too exhausted to eat dinner much less write, just went to bed. But I didn't forget you guys.)

Again, sincere thanks for letting me know.

KyWoods -- Sounds like your raccoon visitors may very well be taking the seeds over to the water dish to wash them and/or play with them. They sure love water.

Do not feel "obligated" to post something about the 'coon kids every night. If you do that it may become a chore for you and not the the enjoyable pastime and stress reliever that it should be. Write when you can. I will enjoy the tale whether I read it every night or once a week. I greatly appreciate the time you have taken to keep us informed about our favorite little critters.

I do have a request though, tell precious Fraidy that she has a fan club and that if Miss Juliet gets to be too annoying I will come out there and swat her in the back of the head until she behaves herself....... LOL

"Somebody" has been pilfering seed from the bird feeder by day. The other day I tried an experiment, left a dish of 1/2 seed, 1/2 dog food out near the feeder. I wasn't sure how that would work out, whether it might just encourage more daylight snackers who would still "hit" the feeder. I came home to find every speck of dog food gone, most of the seed still there along with a few sunflower shells, and, best of all, no sign any non-feathered diners at the bird feeder. Now if I could just remember to fill the dish every day...

Since it's getting dark almost an hour earlier now, I've been late - according to raccoon time - every day. It has become the norm now for Heidi to be in the yard already when I get out there and to be walking around with me as I fill the dishes - almost like a pet. (In fact, just tonight I was thinking how I've begun to think of them as my other pets.)

Monday night only Heidi and HRH showed up while I was there. In addition to the default dog food, I took out a large bag of pounce cat treats, chicken and turkey flavor. As Heidi was eating her food at station 1, I tossed a few small handfuls of the pounce treats over near her. For a while she ignored me and them. Just as I was about to give up on the pounce treats, Heidi scooped a few up in her paws, took them over to the pool, hopped in, and started fishing them out to eat them. It was almost as if she was trying to tell me something. "In the pool, silly. Put them in the pool" After that I tossed about 2/3 of the bag into the pool, and she gleefully - and I do mean to say that at such times she seems caught up in pure delight - chased them about on the bottom of the pool and ate them all.

Eventually, HRH decided to join her in the pool. Surprisingly, while 2 raccoons can almost never share the pool, for a whle Heidi and HRH were both in the pool chasing down cat treats. It was kind of sweet really. Unfortunately, the brief reunion ended abruptly when a loud noise from somewhere in the neighborhood sent them both scrambling for the forest. They didn't come back right away; so as the heat, humidity, and mosquitos were making miserable, I left too.

BTW, considering that Heidi has begun taking food items over to the pool now, I've concluded that she may actually prefer the shallow water - lately I've only been putting about 2in of water in the pool.

tetleytuna, ROTFLMHO!!!

I will have to tell Ms Fraidy that. I know that she will get a laugh out of it, too! Even better, I'll tell her while Juliet is nearby. ;-)

Thank you very much for the compliment and for your understanding. Actually, in the past, including last summer, I didn't post every day - some days I intentionally didn't feed them, too, as I didn't want them to be too dependent on me. While Heidi was eating for 4 or more and while she was nursing, I started feeding her every day in an effort to insure the kids got the best possible nutrition. While we were all waiting for her to give birth, I got into the habit of posting daily. A few weeks back I mentioned that I would be cutting back a bit - not posting daily. I figured the days "off" would allow me to tend to some of my other interests and [often neglected] responsibilities and would help to keep my writing "fresh", more creative, less perfunctory, less redundant. It has taken me this long to actually implement that decision; I found it difficult to wean myself from the daily habit of sharing the story with all of you. I missed our daily "chats", too, but, alas, one can only put some chores - like housekeeping - off for so long before they must be tended to.

Thanks, again! (Still LMAO over that Fraidy/Juliet thing!)

Forgot to mention that on Monday night (when I put 2/3 of the pounce treats in the pool for Heidi and HRH) I kept the other 1/3 for Fraidy. When she failed to show up before I left, I put them in her dish with her food hoping that she would get there and find it before any of the others did. Since her dish is farther back from the fence and behind the baracade, the others usually stop at the other dishes before they make it back that far - at least, that is, until the food runs out.

Sunday when I rinsed and refilled the pool, birdbaths, and other water dishes I [finally] realized that since Fraidy's dish is behind the baracade for a reason, she also needs water back there. I filled one of the large plastic dishes with fresh water and put it by her food dish. By the time she left it was almost empty.

Yesterday I took a nap after work and overslept. Thank goodness, Widget woke me up to complain about the raccoons at the feeder. As it was I didn't get out there until after dark. Not only was hiding waiting for me and walking through the feeding area while I was setting up (I think that is SO cute - because she just acts like a "normal" pet), but just as I was finishing up and before I got back to my bench to sit down Fraidy walked out from the veggie patch and over to her dish. (That's also SO cute because no matter how many dishes I fill, lately Faidy goes directly to HER dish - like a pet). When I walked over to the bench (only a foot from her), Fraidy looked up at me and then continued eating. (Ahhh)

Unfortunately, as I had come home "beat" and fallen asleep right away, I'd failed to refill Fraidy's new water dish. When she had eaten about 1/2 of her food, she stuck her nose into her empty water dish, then looked up at me - sitting right beside her - as if to say, "Where's my water?!" (They are so endlessly cute, so expressive, and so smart!) Well, I felt just awful about not filling the water bowl. She looked in the tool pan under the tractor scoot beside her, but it was also empty. She walked around the scoot, around the whole baracade, walked right up in front of me, stuck her nose out toward me, practically touched it to my knee. It was like she was STILL saying "Where's my water?" I provide stuff. She needed water. I was supposed to provide some. I'd have paid a mint for a glass of water to offer her at that moment! Finally, she went over to fight with Juliet over use of the pool for drinking purposes. I would be much less likely to forget her water in the future.

Forgot to mention (again) that I have 2 large, new (unused) cat litter pans that I bought because I thought they looked perfect for water dishes - that would hold a few days supply. I think I'll put one by Fraidy's dish and one in the regular feeding area. This time of year, you can't have to much water outside. (BTW, back when I was filling the pool, I used to see blue jays using it; now that I'm keeping it shallow, it has become a giant birdbath by day)

Since I didn't get to bed until 2AM last night, again tonight I rushed how and took a nap, and again I overslept. This time even though it was still daylight outside, the very frantic and annoyed Widget woke me to protest that we were under "attack". I went to the kitchen to see, through the panes in the French door there, Heidi and Juliet waiting for me on the patio! Like, "Hello in there! It's dinner time. Where the heck are you?"

I packed the goods and went out to feed them. This time I was careful to take a bottle of fresh water for Fraidy. I also took eggs and greenie cat treats. Out at the feeding area, I tossed Heidi an egg and she ate it immediately. As I know how much Juliet also loves the eggs, I tossed her one, too, which she promptly scarfed down.

Juliet's inexperience shows when she eats the eggs - although she still gets it done. Heidi bites the top off like a coddled egg, then uses her tongue to lift the contents out without spilling a drop. Juliet, on the other hand, bites the egg in the middle, breaking it in a manner that allows the contents to run out onto the ground where she then laps them up - not nearly so efficient as Heidi who can down the whole thing dirt free and very fast.

As has become the norm now, Heidi ate her treats from the pool - along with several handfuls of dog food. When she finally left, Juliet hopped in to eat what remained. I tossed some more dog food in for her. It is amazing to me that neither the sound of nickel sized kibble pummeling the plastic pool nor the view of me some 20ft away throwing food with the forceful overhand pitch necessary to get the fairly light kibble to travel that far frightens the raccoons at all. They will rush around the pool with the look of that "zone" kind of total bliss, chasing their "prey" while I repeatedly throw food, my arm flailing in the air toward them and kibble raining down all around them. For brief intervals, they seem almost totally immersed in stress-free play.

I stopped tossing food, and after a time when there was no more kibble in the pool, Juliet stood almost dead center of the pool, facing me, just staring. I may well be reading too much into these things, but she looked for all the world to be waiting (and prompting me) for more kibble; so I tossed a few more handfuls.

When she got out of the pool, Juliet went over to lick Heidi's empty egg shell and then to re-lick her own. Seeing this, I tossed her yet another egg which she quickly devoured before leaving.

Alone, I waited a bit, calling Fraidy. Finally, as those annoying mosquitoes were dining on ME, I put the rest of the greenie treats in Faidy's dish, left her water dish filled with fresh filtered water from fridge, rested the final egg upright with tip gently cracked in the grass beside her dish, and left

>>I may well be reading too much into these things,

OH i dont think so at all. It's always said how intelligent they are -- I'm sure they are saying, "Hey, where's the [insert food or beverage here] ... come'on... chop chop...."

your description of arms flailing chasing food is hilariously... I can almost visualize it.

June, I was just remembering that last summer after Heidi's kids got up a bit in size she and they would often fail to show up for the evening meal. The moms know that they have a lot to teach the kids about foraging, fishing, looking for turtle eggs, bird's eggs, etc. and very little time to do it. I felt that despite the presence of free food in my yard, often Heidi's instincts seemed to send her out to give those much needed lessons instead. That may be another reason why your raccoons are coming around less often lately. I figure up there they have less time to teach the essentials.

Aaaahh! Now I got my raccoon fix for a couple of days. I check several times a day for new messages.

Thank you, Terese. Glad you can visualize it. I was hoping to convey those brief periods of total immersion in which they seem almost like "kits" again. With any luck I will soon remember to take the camera out to try to record some of these things. It doesn't help at all when I come home and nap before the feeding then jump up and run out all dazed and groggy - it's lucky I remember the food.

Which reminds me...For days now I've been trying to remember the camera and always without success. In the past, I've noticed that for some odd reason, it really helps when you guys post those cute little "don't forget the camera" messages. I don't know why that works, but it somehow moves the camera up to the top of the list (in my mind). I not only take it out that day but every day for a few days after.

So, could some of you remind me...please.

Thank you, George! Good to hear from you. That reminds me. Lately, as Fraidy has become more and more like a pet, a wild pet - she's still free to come and go and do whatever she wants, I've been thinking about somethings you said a while back. Recently, I was reading that raccoons don't make their dens; they look for acceptable structures made by nature or by other animals; so I was thinking that maybe [next year, don't have time right now] I might make one of those raccoon den boxes and put it somewhere in the back part of the yard, maybe in the veggie patch where Fraidy feels safe - maybe I'll even leave a section of weeds over there for her and see if she or one of the others may decide to move in there. Just a thought and I can't do it right away.

Wouldn/t that be neat to come out in the late afternoon and find Fraidy snuggled in something that you had provided for her.

We have had a cat door for something like a year now. It is next to where I sit at the computer and up a couple of feet off the floor. There is a board/shelf on both the inside and the outside. The reason for the height is to make it more difficult for opossums to come in. Of the four cats the youngest, Dawn, has no concept of not being able to come and go at will. There is something wild about Dawn that makes me think that someone was experimenting with breeding wild and domestic cats. She is smaller than the average cat which is good. She loves fiercely and I do mean fiercely. She will grab hold of your skin and shake as though she was tearing prey apart. In the morning she will come in jut before the alarm she will throw herself against Sue and purr wildly. She does not like getting wet but when I am watering plants she stays back only inches from where the water is splashing. When she was very young she would make tremendous horizontal leaps and yet did not concieve of jumping up more than a few inches. She carries in hunks of bark and ears of corn from last years garden.

Your first friendly reminder...

LOL, Marylyn, how cute! How about videos, too!!?

George, Dawn sounds just precious! Love the horizontal leaps and bringing things in from outside.

I don't know if Fraidy would stay. She seems to like that weeded area, seems to feel safe over there. I know that she would be safer there than in the forest. When you 1st mentioned building her a home I didn't think it possible that she would use it. She still may not, but now I do at least think there's a chance. Hopefully, I'll get to do that in 08.

LOL, Marylyn! Love the thumbnail!

Thanks very much for the reminders Marylyn and KyWoods!

Like I said, I don't really know why it works, but you can't argue with success. Maybe it's because I end up reading the little reminders at different times during the day when I check my updated threads in DG; so maybe it's partly the repetition. Then again, maybe it also helps when the reminders come from you guys because it activates my desire not to let you down.

For whatever reason, it works! Tonight I got some video and a few photos which was pretty good considering when I got out there it was all I could do to tolerate the heat and the mosquitoes while I waited for the raccoons to arrive. I almost gave up. Had to sit out there drumming my feet on the ground to keep from being drained of blood entirely. (Yeah, I know they make stuff for that - and I have some - somewhere. I'll probably find it in January.)

I was about to leave when I saw a bush wiggle down at the end of the fence. I've become very good at discerning the difference between movement due to a breeze and movement due to raccoons. I called, "Heidi. Heidi" sweetly, of course, "I see you, come on" A tiny cute, little, masked face appeared amid the foliage. The face stared at me for a few minutes. Then Juliet emerged, descended, and sheepishly came to dinner.

Oops! Don't want to spoil the plot. I probably won't have time to write tonight - well, except the previews. ;-)
Have some work to do before bed. Just wanted to let you know that I got the pics and videos. I will write and post them tomorrow - and probably start a new thread.

Ok, couldn't stand it any longer. Had to post this one. I looked up and saw Heidi in the pool using her back foot to scratch behind her ear. Couldn't believe my luck. It was a hilarous pose. I swung the camera into position and quickly snapped this picture just before she dropped the leg back down and the moment was gone.

Then, totally bummed, I looked down to see the blurred, out of focus image on my LCD. Drat! If it had been any other image I would have deleted it, but even though it's not the best, I thought I'd show it to you anyhow because who knows when I'll get that photo op again!

So, without further ado, here is Heidi scratching behind her ear with her back foot:

Awwww! What a fun picture, blur or no blur--lucky you to get to see that in person!

Thank you! : )

This journey has been like readign a good book. : ) Wil be interstign to se e if Fraidy ever gets brave.

Thank you, KyWoods!

Thank you, starlight1153!

Count me in!

mg

Great, mg!

Cute image, BTW, and cute reminder. I got out pretty late tonight so didn't take the camera. I'll try to remember it tomorrow.