Reserved. Will edit when time allows.
Welcome back, Everyone! Here's our new thread with the photo many of you chose.
Prior thread: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/792182/
Heidi Chronicles: Winter Slow Down
LOL..... there's the cutie!!
that HAS to be entered in the contest next year!!
Thanks for the new thread. I agree. Ya coudl always use that photo for yoru book cover. ; )
Wow, that was quick!
Thanks, Terese! (and thanks for finding it so everyone could 'vote' it in!)
Thanks, starlight! That's an interesting idea! For the cover shot, I could Photoshop the weeds out of the pic. lol
Edited to say: I may have already used this one as a cover shot. Not sure. It's getting difficult to keep track, but apparently we aren't tired of it yet, anyhow. : )
This message was edited Dec 6, 2007 7:32 PM
Edited again for typos.
This message was edited Dec 6, 2007 10:35 PM
That is just too darn cute! Tired of it never.......
Thanks, nanny. I like the way that sounds. : )
>>may have already used this one as a cover shot. Not sure. It's getting difficult to keep track,
Cheryl,
it's sorta funny -- out of all the threads from this year that has a "baby" in it, it's Rupert.
one when he's sitting in "the seat" in the scoot [i think you call it]
the last thread, then this one.
He's a poster child!!
Terese,
He is, isn't he - a cover child that is - or a cover 'coon. I think their is one more with him on it. Diva (Brittaney) was especially pretty. She had a lovely coat and a very sweet face. So it's no surprise that Rupert would be so photogenic.
Also, it was easier to get good photos of Rupert. At the time he and Diva were eating on the path just beside my bench. Some light from my floodlights hit that area and the path is reasonably cleared of brush/weeds. In addition, Diva was quite pushy so she came up to within a few feet of me to beg for treats, so Rupert ended up coming quite close to me at times. Lastly, as an only child it was easier to get a clean shot of him alone and one in which he was just standing or sitting around since he had no one to play with.
The other kits were in dark areas that were shaded completely from the flood lights (by trees). They were always playing and were frequently close together. I couldn't get good pics of Juliet's kids because they were always hiding in the tall brush. For a long time there were no pics of Blondie because she was always glued to Heidi's side. It was fun to watch Heidi's kids play in the pool together but I quickly learned that it didn't make for such great pictures. I took endless pics of them in the pool only to find that their legs and heads were hidden by the side of the pool and I had a bunch of pictures of 3 raccoon backs.
But, yes, Rupert is this year's Cover Child for sure.
Yep....you gotta love a face like that!
Thank you for the new thread!!
Susan
=^..^=
Hi Susan,
You are very welcome! Sorry it took so long to make it. Now if I can just get folks to use it. ; -)
For some reason, we just don't seem to want to let that last thread go. (lol)
I was in a hurry last night (although in the end I think I 'talked' more than I worked), so I guess I didn't do a very good job of getting the new thread started - no header info to say what it's about, etc. Then I made the mistake of putting my blurb about last night at the end of the old thread which had the effect of starting that one up all over again.
Anyhow, you are most welcome. (Love your trademark cat. Very creative.)
You mentioned Diva--how long has it been since you've seen her? Seem's it's been quite a while.
does seem like many of the females are gone.
sugar also.
next spring will be very interesting ... especially if a few of them are pregnant.
oh -- and will be very interesting if we have Trouble, Dennis, HRH, and lil Rupert. [if indeed he's a male.]
Ya mean li'l Rupert may be li'l Ruperta???
Ky -- we still don't know for sure.
guess we'll find out next year if he comes back a bit larger.
Cheryl -- HRH would be the "dad" right? I mean, he's stud on campus correct?
I saw on your last thread where you were talking about the nice weather. It is extremely cold here with an inch or so of snow on the ground. I looked at one of the weather sites and we are supposed to get an ice storm this weekend with accumulation from a quarter inch and up. WAAAAH! :^)
Oh, nooo, tetley! Stay inside and stay warm! I remember living in Kansas City, Kansas as a kid, and getting lots of snow each year. It's fun when you're a kid....
i was in Wisc today -- we had to go up and pretty much close up for the year, empty the frig etc.
and we had about 16"
there was a layer of ice in the middle, and about 8" of powder on top.
at home, we have about 5"
Ice is the nastiest stuff anyone could get.
KyWoods,
It has been a few threads now since I last saw Diva. If you recall, she and Rupert disappeared some time back - the day after I saw the dead raccoon in the road outside my community to be exact. I don't know that that was her, but it seems quite coincidental. The night before I had skipped a feeding. Next morning saw the raccoon on the road. Thought at the time it was one of the kids (who were almost grown anyhow). Remember?
For a while it seemed both mom and kit were missing. Then I started seeing a youngster hanging around the edges of the area. I thought it looked a lot like Diva at 1st but didn't act at all like her, too shy - and a youngster. Eventually, as the youngster started coming closer and eating but always keeping to himself, I realized it was Rupert. He was clearly a kit but a bit larger than the others (Rupert was born earlier). Heidi, Juliet, and their kids all 'attacked' him anytime he came near them. He had Diva's 'look' and some of her moves like standing upright a lot and such but w/o her attitude. Etc, etc. Then one day I called him by name - if you recall just before he and his mom went missing Rupert had started coming for treats when I called his name - and he turned around immediately to face me. I called his name again, and he walked toward me, although not all the way up to me.
A photo (which I didn't post) confirmed that Dennis is a boy, but I really don't know about Rupert. When Terese suggested the name, I just decided to go with it regardless of gender, so, yes, 'he' could actually be Ruperta.
My memory's not so good, but that does sound familiar. If that was her little body you saw, poor Diva! Even if she wasn't such a nice mommy, it is sad to lose a member of the little family.
Terese,
At some point, shortly after the kids appeared on the scene I believe, Heidi and Juliet started a program of chasing everyone else away quite vigorously, except the lovable stud muffin HRH, of course, in part because he always sat down with his back to Heidi when she tried to pick an argument with him. It was around that time that most of the others stopped showing up often if at all. Fraidy kept coming around for quite a while until a few weeks ago; Fraidy kept her distance from Heidi, Juliet, and the kids so they tolerated her presence a bit.
From what I've read males may take as much as 2yrs to reach puberty; note, however, that I've read a lot of conflicting information about raccoons, so I'm not at all convinced that much is known for sure. At any rate, I suspect that come spring Trouble and any other male who is past puberty will be 'politely' asked to leave - asked by HRH not me. This spring with Trouble it was all handled quite 'amicably'; hopefully, it will go equally well in spring of '08. If Dennis or Rupert or Juliet's son don't show signs of puberty (sudden burst in growth, large frame, large head, large jaw, broad forehead, etc are some of the things I noticed with Trouble this year) they will get to stay with us for a little longer. If they are asked to leave, they may come back late in the year (after the action is over) like Trouble did; the memories of good food, the pool, toys, etc may bring them back.
Is HRH the dad? Yes. That's my answer. Understand, of course, that I am not qualified to testify as an eye witness to this. ;-)
I first met HRH in early spring of '07. He may have come around before that, but that's when he 1st revealed himself to me (I must stress that raccoons are ninjas. You don't see them until they are willing to be seen.) Around that time, he and Juliet were a hot item and were named Romeo and Juliet, Romeo being his proper name, HRH his nick name. Their friendship took a left turn, however, right about the time Juliet started to get fat and grumpy. Since then she hasn't been able to stand the sight of him. (but I digress - as usual)
When HRH 1st came on the scene I could see that he would, no doubt, be the Dad of Juliet's kids but didn't know who had fathered either of Heidi's litters, 06 or 07. Later I started to notice similiarites between HRH (whose appearance is quite unique for this group and even for this area) and some of the adult kids from 06. Panda, for instance, had HRH's face, and in the dark looks a lot like a tiny version of HRH. Juliet also has some of HRH's facial coloring although it is more subtle.
By that time I became pretty sure that HRH was the dad of all of the kids, both 06 and 07 (although I don't know for sure about Rupert. Diva would have become pregnant earlier than either Heidi or Juliet. She may have been pregnant before she happened upon the diner. Could go either way with her). Of course, one look at Blondie and you know that HRH is her Dad. Although she has Heidi's facial coloring, she has HRH's unusual and signiture red-blond coat. Blondie is also a bit larger than her siblings such that I am now starting to wonder if size may also be a characteristic attributable to HRH.
So, basically, yes, it looks like HRH is the Dad of all but maybe Rupert. Not to get too technical here, but you guys do realize, of course, that it is possible for one litter to have multiple Dads, right?
KyWoods,
Her disruptive behavior not withstanding, when Diva 1st 'left' I missed her and kept looking and hoping to see her pop out of the woods again, but she never did. In time I realized how unlikely it was for her to leave so abruptly, especially with all that food around.
Oh, tetleytuna,
So sorry to hear that you are caught up in the winter storms. I hope you know that I wasn't describing the nice weather here to gloat or anything. (Remember how I wined about the horrible heat here all summer.) It's just that I get the impression that the weather here is very different from what most of the group is accustomed to and/or expecting. I was just trying to give everyone a better picture of what it is like here right now. While KyWoods is trying to fatten her critters up for winter, for instance, the raccoons around here aren't even hungry enough to show up for dinner in a timely manner and are not even finishing 1/3 of the cat food they consumed daily just a few months ago. (I suspect they are eating more or less as much but just eating elsewhere.)
It's very hard for me to really understand what ice and snow are like. Except for the month or so I spent in PA in fall a many years ago and the occasional business trip to NY, VA, DE, and such, I have little experience with really cold weather. (Plenty of experience with living on the surface of the sun but no experience with cold.) I find that I am conflicted. On the one hand, I LOVE photos of snow covered landscapes. Once a decade or so when we awaken to a light dusting of snow I am like a child in wonderland. It is as though I have stumbled into a magical snow globe. I have to run outside and experience this awesome and surreal stuff. For that brief moment, I can't get enough of it. I am transported back in time. I'm 5 again. I want to play in it, fall down in it, make stuff out of it, eat it, and most of all I want to preserve it - because I know that all too soon it will vanish into the relative warmth of our air not to return again for a very, very long time. Yet, I guess, it is this very fact - that it will go away soon and not return for a long time - that makes me enjoy it so; because when it does come back again, I know that I won't have to deal with any of the negatives. Here we have no snow equipment and no knowledge of how to deal with it, so we shut the city down for the day, enjoy a snow day (to be 5 again), and by lunch time the snow is but a distant memory and we are left with a the disappointment of finding that we are adults again and with that nagging realization that we must return to work tomorrow.
Try to stay warm and safe.
Cheryl, always love your description of the coons as ninjas: it is uncanny how invisible they can become when it serves their needs. Sometimes I was convinced they could teleport.... ("Scotty, beam me up right now; there are marshmallows there...")
I agree with you that Diva was highly unlikely to disappear when all that yummy food was so readily available, especially when she was so addicted to the marshmallows. And while I'd never wish harm to a wild creature (aside from the fantasies I have about the chipmunks who eat my freshly-planted perennials), her presence in your little community was disruptive at best, and potentially explosive. After she attacked HRH and really wounded him, I always worried that WWIII would erupt when she was around; she just didn't seem wired by the same rules of behavior as the other coons. Let's just say that wherever Diva is, I'm sure she's dreaming of marshmallows and world domination...
LOL, I'm sure she is!
"wherever Diva is, I'm sure she's dreaming of marshmallows and world domination"
Not necessarily in that order! That is just so funny and way too accurate.
Don't worry I did not think you were gloating about the weather, just occasionally get some very serious zone envy. I do not do well in cold weather. I have Reynaud's Syndrome in my hands which means that what for most people would be chilly for me could cause some serious frostbite I have never had it too badly, my hands turn very pale and lose mobility and feeling pretty quickly in cold weather. :^)
"marshmallows and world domination", Ruth, that's a heck of a combination! But so fitting! LOL
Yeah, Diva did seem to be "dancing to the beat of a different drummer" for sure. She had calmed down considerably after I rearranged them, at least for the time being. I had no idea the feeding position could make such a big difference. It was as though I demoted her or something.
Sometimes, even with the kits like Dennis who were comfortable around me and had no reason to try go in to stealth mode around me, I would be sitting all alone on my bench waiting and then a kit would suddenly materialize under the edge of my bench or climbing up the tractor scoot beside me. I had heard nothing prior to that, seen nothing, been totally oblivious to the approach of the raccoon until suddenly he was beside me. This happened when the raccoon was already in the yard, perhaps in the veggie patch unbenownst to me. If it weren't for the fence, a giant alarm that signals their approach with the sound of claws on boards, they would undoubtedly sneak up on me much more often. At times when numerous adult raccoons were in the yard and especially when I had some highly desirable treat, I was almost paranoid, constantly looking over my shoulder lest Diva or some other raccoon should sneak up behind me, and in the case of Diva, assault me for the coveted treat.
Yep, they are ninjas. They move so silently. It's an effortless thing that just seems natural to them. But they are not just silent. They move with such grace that they seem not even to stir the air around them. Somehow they even appear to defy those detectors in our eyes that key on movement in the peripheral vision and that 6th sense that alerts us to the presence of another creature in our vicinity. ...or maybe they really do teleport...
Well, tetleytuna,
You are always welcome here! ;-)
But I should warn you that I've begun to view 'winter' as a very welcome and all too brief respite from the almost intolerable inferno we call summer.
That first pics adorable scutler!!!
Thank you, pelletory!
That's our little orphan Rupert from when he was a baby. Rupert was the photogenic one.
"In the case of Diva, assault me for the coveted treat:" now there's a truly horrible thought, Cheryl. Kamikaze marshmallow raid by crazed ninja Diva on a sugar high: help!!
ROFL, that makes for a great mental image!
Ruth, KyWoods,
That's about how it was - for real. I had already seen her handywork - on HRH's face, and more than a few times I'd seen her undergo the Jeckyl-Hyde transformation after tasting just one marshmallow. She kept wanting to sneak up behind my left shoulder and sniff around for food. Naturally, I was more than a little freaked out to suddenly find the demonically possessed Diva standing upright behind me and looking over my shoulder for another fix.
It was sufficiently disconcerting that I finally moved Fraidy's dish the presence of which seemed to be giving her an excuse to hang around behind my shoulder.
I hope that everyone is doing well, and that those of you who are effected by the cold and by winter storms are managing to stay warm and safe.
Please don't hate me, but I just can't contain the news. Yesterday was THE most beautiful spring day one could ever imagine: clear azure skies, bright sun, 75F, just an absolutely, gorgeous day - the kind where no amount of self discipline can keep you inside. Today, however, while still clear and sunny, is actually a bit HOT, if you can believe it. I had sweat running down my face while driving the riding lawn mower on the south side of my house! In December! (Last week we were discussing plans for our Christmas party. One person volunteered the use of her house. Someone else said that would be a great place to have it because she has a pool, an outside pool - a pool for a Christmas party. Can you believe we want to swim in an outdoor pool at a Christmas party? Talking to you guys has given me more of a global perspective. Now I'm starting to notice these things that seem so 'normal' to us.)
How are things in MO, tetleytuna? When some of you guys write in to tell me your weather woes, I know I'm going to feel awful for telling you about the gorgeous spring day we had yesterday - but I couldn't help myself. I had to share it with someone. It was just too good to keep to myself.
Oh, and about the raccoons - almost forgot them - I'm still putting food out at he rate of 1/3 to 1/2 the normal summer amount and something is eating it. Almost every day I either hear something back there or see Widget charge around the corner with that "oh, boy something chase-able" gleam in his eye. Haven't actually seen anything out there since the last time I caught a glimpse of Rupert's butt disappearing into the foliage over the fence.
You know, I was thinking about the fact that Heidi and the kids stayed longer this year. Then again, it seemed like the kids were likely born a bit later this year. I wonder if that may have had anything to do with it.
>>I know I'm going to feel awful for telling you about the gorgeous spring day we had yesterday
Cheryl,
you may be having gorgeous day now.... and ours are crap [we are having frozen rain, which is awful since everything has a coating of ice on it ... one reason i'm putting off shopping til tomorrow]
but i do recall those summer days, and even in the fall, where your humidity is SO high that everything fogs up.
so, you have your crap days too.
no one has perfect weather ... though i hear san diego does .. but then they have fires and mud slides, right?
can't wait til DH and I are snow birds. ;-)
Pool party on Christmas huh?? very cool.
Thanks, Terese,
I was thinking the same thing. It's gorgeous here now, but we pay dearly for it in summer (summer here ends in mid Oct.lol) when it's too hot to venture outside w/o bursting into flames and being incinerated on the spot - the myth of spontaneous human combustion surely started in the south. And, oh, the humidity. Isn't that the truth. Some days around here you can't tell if you are walking or swimming.
I used to think I didn't want to live in the north because (in my mind) you are trapped indoor all winter. Then one summer as I was watching my parched garden from behind the fogged up windows of my air-conditioned home, unable to tolerate the heat outside any time between 9AM and 9PM, I realized that I am trapped indoors all summer, and, frankly, I think that may be worse. Here, I can only enjoy the outdoors during the time of year when most plants are dormant.
And, that's not to mention the hurricanes! This was a particularly calm season, but many years, even if we are lucky enough to be spared a hit, we still have to pack up and flee for our lives about once every week or two for months. That can wreak havoc with your work life. Oh, and if the global warming folks are right, we'll be in the Atlantic in a few years. You are right. I think parts of CA may be the only place in the US where its 70-80F all year but then you have to deal with severe drought, fires, mud slides, and earthquakes.
But even as I was driving around yesterday, running errands and thinking how beautiful the day was, I felt almost guilty having such a nice day when so many of you had told me you were having or expecting such bad weather.
Oh, well, I have to get outside to clean the raccoons' pool.
Scutler glad to hear you are having good weather, we really can't complain here, a little cold and windy here,but really not so bad. we too get HOT summers and they only seem to get hotter. ran into my bobcat friend yesterday and had a little chat with him, I told him how beautiful he was and how lucky I am to see such a wonderful thing, but I really don't want to loose my squirrels and others alike, he growled at me and flashed his eyes and started to move away, I set my trap (to move him) and only caught a large possum who was not too thrilled with me to say the least. will we see.
That little guy/gal is ADORABLE!!!
which one?
The first picture.