Heidi Chronicles: Winter Slow Down

That's lil Rupert. we are assuming he is now an orphan. Diva was/is his mother, but she has not been seen in quite a while.

He's is our lil photogenic baby coon.
in the previous thread, that is him too [we are assuming it is a HE until Cheryl finds out otherwise.]
Cute as a bug, isn't he??

Yes he is! He looks like he's smiling.

makj,

Glad that you are having nice weather, too. I talk to the critters in my yard, too, sometimes, especially when we are having a difference of opinion; but I don't usually win the argument. ;-)

You know, sometimes when you describe Diva, I get this mental vision of "Miss Piggy" doing her "Hiiiii Ya" kick and on a rampage.

I do so love Rupert...such a sweety! As they mostly all are.

As for winter, we are expecting a ice storm or some type of strange winter weather...Image that in Western NY! LOL

I grew up in FL, so I understand your winters. I remember a Christmas swimming at the beach.....and I would so love to do that again.

Debbie

Thank you, gardener!

Rupert is a little cutie, isn't he? And, yes, he does look like he's smiling. I don't recall the circumstances surrounding that shot; but back then I used to toss him a lot of peanuts, grapes, marshmallows and such. Maybe he was enjoying his treats that day.

But...did anyone notice his big nose? That's why I initially posted this one under the caption "Clown Nose". (I can be so insensitive sometimes.) Do raccoons start out with big noses and have to 'grow into them' like puppies with big feet? Or is the big nose just an distortion created by the camera, something that cameras do sometimes when items are too close?

I think he has a bit of a comical look on his face, too. Can't really place it. Something about the look in his eyes.

Thanks again, gardener. Glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks, Debbie!

A few years ago I had to fly into upstate NY (near Adirondacks) the week before Christmas. The weather was bad and was predicted to get much, much worse and very fast. I was terrified of getting snowed in and having to spend Christmas alone in a hotel. I think I said, "Ok then. That should about rap things up. Time to go." after every other sentence anyone said in the NY meeting. (LOL. I got a lot of dirty looks.) I did get out before all heck broke out, meteorologically speaking.

Stay safe and warm!

Uggg -- I keep forgetting I only get so many "edits" per day

This is the last link, i promise

bust since Diva had her kid first, the beginning baby pics were mostly of lil Rupert,
here is the thread that has mostly Rup and Diva pics
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/761408/

OK -- now i'm done. I promise

Terese

Terese,

Glad you are posting links to the cute pics. Those are especially helpful to folks who came in recently and haven't seen the pics before. Hope your connection holds out. (I'm still borrowing the neighbor's connection as I never made it upstairs to reboot that router.)

That 'new' one you found looks like it might be the day that I tried to give Rupert an egg - but Diva ran over and stole it from him. Remember back when Diva would steal his treats? She really was something else. Poor little fella must have lost the parents lottery.

A week or so ago when he came her alone and all grown up, I tossed him an egg. He picked it up, carried it maybe a foot, put it to his mouth as if to bite it, and then finally dropped it and left it, apparently never having learned (or been taught) how to eat an egg, something Heidi's kids new the 1st week they showed up at the diner.

Good detective work!

You're welcome scutler. No, I didn't notice his nose until I went back and looked at the pic again. It is big, I wonder if animals make fun of other animals when they have a little abnormality!! LOL

Yep, Terese, that daily edit limit can be a pain sometimes. I ran into it one day when I was trying to fix my typos. Ended up leaving many of them behind.

No limit on links you can post to help folks find things. (lol) Things are pretty slow in Heidi Land right now, so we've got plenty of time to drag out that family photo album, oh and ah over the baby pics, and reminisce. :-)

gardener,

I think the big nose leapt out at me as soon as I opened the pic the 1st time. Not sure if he really had a big nose since it could have been a distortion caused by the camera. He doesn't seem to have that abnormality now. So, you think maybe the big nose was the reason Dennis and the others wouldn't play with him? Like Rudolf?

Cheryl -- here's where she stole the egg. "bad mommy"
and too bad lil Rupert never learned certain "survival" techniques.

Hopefully he may pick things up from watching others.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=3897903

>>distortion caused by the camera.
This is what i think happened.

sometimes when you "hit" something straight on with the flash, or sunlight ... things do get distorted.
but BOY it brought out character.

Terese,

Yes, I guess it was that rare 'oops' that turned out to be beneficial.

I had rolled the egg, the only egg I had with me at the time, right over to little Rupert and had been careful to wait until Diva was a few feet away. The egg came to rest at his feet. It was perfect. Then just as he reached down for it - slowly and cautiously as he didn't know exactly what it was, Diva swooped in and grabbed it right out of his little hands. After a few weeks of that sort of treatment, Rupert eventually learned to snatch his treats and run with them - to keep Mommy Dearest from getting them.

To all those dealing with the cold weather right now, while I don't envy you the chill or the treacherous driving, I must admit that there is something less than truly festive about Christmas with the AC on. Even for those of us who didn't grow up with snow, it's still what we see in all of the pictures depicting Christmas, so we know it's what we are supposed to have, not to mention that every kid 12 and under longs to awaken to snow on Christmas morn.

I for one had a deprived childhood having never known about 'sledding', building snowmen, snowball fights, etc. We had a blizzard once when as a young teen I lived a little farther inland. When my mom ran outside to collect fresh, clean snow for 'ice cream', I thought she had lost her mind. The stuff was so awesome that we ate it until we ran out of ingredients to make more. I haven't had it since. Never get enough snow to make any. Could someone send me some snow please?!

Have not had the chance to get on the computer until now. We had a severe ice storm come through early this morning. I had heard that ice was predicted so filled up the bird feeders. I am so glad that I was able to do that for the poor little guys. The birds can get through snow but not ice and the backyard bird buffet was quite busy. I have three semi feral cats that I have been feeding and it did not take them long to notice the traffic. With the ice the way it was out there the birds did not have to worry though, poor kitties could not run without sliding across the frozen tundra. We ended up with at least an inch of sleet accumulation and there was that much built up on the windsheild of the car. Took me several hours to chip it off.

Having said that, please continue to talk about the wonderful weather you are having down south. I can live vicariously through your great descriptions!

i feel your pain tetley -- in the past week or so, we've had ice twice.
the first time was snow, then sleet/frozen rain, then rain .. so it was bad for a while, but eventually melted because the next day was 44.

today we've had rain, and it's been in the upper 20's all day ... so everything is a thin sheet of ice.

I too filled my feeder yesterday -- and luckily the squirrel did not get to it, so there was plenty for the birds.


I'm just thinking about Cheryl's neighborhood Christmas Pool party.

Ah, tetleytuna,

Thanks for making me feel better. Sorry to hear about your difficulty in breaking your car out of the ice, but I must say that I got quite a chuckle out of the image of those cats sliding across the ice while trying to catch birds! In my mind I'm seeing cats running really fast then when they try to stop and find themselves sliding out of control on the ice, they sit down and start to spin this way and that across the 'tundra'. lol. Serves those kitties right for trying to harm those cute little, yellow birdies. No, wait, I think I'm getting confused now with Sylvester and Tweetie.

Terese,

We just can't do the traditional stuff here. 'The stockings were hung from the AC unit with care' just doesn't ring true somehow, nor does 'Dashing through the lawn...' We just have to improvise and use what we have - the pool.

But the bird still wait for me to come out with the feeder each morning. The chickadees sit in the crepe myrtle by the door. The cardinals hide in the rose arbor (although that bright scarlet color stands out like a light bulb). If I sleep too late they start fussing at me. The later it gets, the louder they get, esp the cardinals.

Today when I cleaned the pool, I poured the old water out, filled it with clean water, added a splash of bleach, scrubbed it clean, let that soak for a few minutes in hopes of killing the accumulated green stuff, then rinsed well and filled with clean water. I hope the small amount of bleach I used will not harm the raccoons. I also rinsed the copper basins (no bleach as the copper appears to suppress the growth of algae) and refilled them. Thus their are at least 2 containers of drinking water which were not cleaned with chemicals.

As many of the most used toys were also growing a culture of the green stuff, and as I figured as soon as those toys were returned to the pool the re-infestation of the pool would begin, I left the tainted toys in the [litter] pan soaking in water with bleach. I hope Rupert and whoever else shows up tonight won't try to play with them before I get the chance to take them out and rinse them off.

scutler, rofl maybe your right!!

Cheryl, the small amount of bleach you used in the pool couldn't hurt anyone, especially since you rinsed it out and refilled the pool. For the toys, it would probably be easier to throw them in the washing machine with bleach; but I'm sure the smell/taste of it in the litter pan would deter anyone from going after them.

You're right, stockings hung from the AC unit just doesn't make it, does it? We're having a warm spell here too; and since I'd just made up the beds with heavy covers during the recent cold spell, I'm less than thrilled. Oh well, as said above, no one's weather is perfect.

Ruth,

I thought the bleach should be ok, esp since we have some chlorine in our [city] water anyhow and since the chlorine is supposed to evaporate out of water left standing, but figured I'd get your opinion just to be extra safe. (My Dad, who had no use for the city other than shopping used to tell me to load up some of his water to take home with me for drinking. He said that he could smell the chlorine in my water, and he hated that. I use filtered water now, but the water at the outdoor faucet isn't filtered so the raccoons are bathing in and drinking the chlorinated water.)

I found out the hard way that not all pet toys are machine washable. The dark green/black stuff (algae, I guess) was so bad on them that they were beyond the point where I could hope to read labels. (Also, I don't think I'd want to drag the icky wet toys - I took them out of the green pool - inside if I could avoid it.) Since I'm more concerned about killing the algae than about getting them clean, I figured soaking them overnight should work.

After the time change it became very difficult for me to get out there to change the water. I can really only do it on Sat/Sun now, and if I forget, I have to wait another week. Once the green stuff got a foot hold, no matter how well I scrubbed the pool, the small ring that remained would quickly inoculate the clean water and the algae growth continued to accelerate out of control between cleanings. Despite the presence of the algae, the kids continued to drag more and more toys into the mix (naturally, the toys go right back into the clean water, too) I guess this is why they use chemicals in pools.

Glad that you are not experiencing the extreme cold that seems to be wreaking havoc across much of the country.

Good news!

This morning I made a point to go out and check the status of the pool, soaking toys, etc. The 1st thing I noticed as I approached the area was the quantity of dirt on the bottom of the freshly soaked and scrubbed pool. Now I cannot imagine that little Rupert dragged all of that dirt into the pool on his 4 feet alone! Nope. Surely, there are more than a few other raccoons using that pool. The bad news is that we are SO busy at work right now (and at home) that I may not be able to spend much time out there waiting for them this week, and they may not even be coming around until later in the evening or early AM, but they do seem to be still around.

The toys were still soaking in the bleach solution. I turned them all over. The 'bottom' sides were pretty clean, so today I'm soaking the other sides.

I'm sure they enjoyed the clean pool water. and even if you still put out the bits of kibble for them ... they certainly will enjoy that too, even if they can't enjoy your company.

I got home early today. Went out and rinsed the toys and changed the water in the pan they were in. Most of all, I took advantage of the opportunity to let Widget out before dark. Then, about an hour ago, when from inside it looked quite dark but from outside was merely dusk, I headed out cat food in hand determined to see a raccoon. It had been another warm, clear day, a bit too warm, in fact, ringing in at 82F, but by 5:30PM it felt wonderful out; so I didn't mind waiting a bit.

I was only about 8ft from the 2 dishes at Heidi's station, and as I waited I wondered if perhaps I should move back a bit, thinking after such an absence, the raccoons might find my presence a little daunting. As I sat pondering the matter, I called out gently and softly, "Heidi, Heidi" followed by "Rupert, Rupert".

And just like that, I saw the familiar, dark profile of a lone raccoon high up in the Heidi tree. The figure moved down to the next lower branch and stopped there in the fork of the tree. "Come on, Sweetie. Come on", I called out softly and repeatedly. The figure stood up and once again began descending the tree. I could only see a dark blur etched against the sky, made visible mostly by the autumn loss of leaves throughout the forest, and moving slowly yet steadily down the trunk.

A few moments later the dark figure descended the fence and, cloaked in the darkness of shadows cast by nearby oak trees, walked toward me in approach of the cat food that lay between us. As the raccoon drew near, his gate showed no sign of fear or uncertainty. In quiet but mounting anticipation I watched as Rupert emerged from the shadows into the dim light from the distant floodlights and started to eat.

Quite a few dogs up and down the street were barking loudly. Rupert showed no fear of me at all, but seemed a bit concerned by the constant sounds of large dogs in the distance. While he ate, I continued to speak softly, encouraging him, letting him know that all was, "ok". About 1/2 through his meal, he stepped into the pool for a very long drink from the now clean water before returning to eat again.

After Rupert had eaten his fill, he walked back into the forest from whence he had come, and disappeared back into the canopy of the same tree. I waited for perhaps another 20 minutes or so, but no other raccoons showed up while I was there.

Seems like lil Rup will be hanging around this winter.
Guess he didn't learn much from "mom"
and as i've mentioned before -- I hope he can still learn from others,
especially if he will be run off during the mating season.

but -- does sound like he's set up 'house' in the nearby woods.

Cheryl, the raccoons have a pool party every day, why shouldn't you be denied the fun of having one in December? LOL When I lived in northern California, they opened the pool at our apartment complex in February! And during the four years I was stationed in Hawaii, it was very strange indeed listening to Christmas songs as the palm trees swayed...dreaming of a white Christmas, indeed! I actually missed the change of seasons while I was there.

Hi, Terese,

Well, he may not have learned where he's supposed to go and what he's supposed to do, but he's welcome to stay here and eat at the backyard buffet. He's 1st to show up each day, shows up at dusk and has 1st pick of the resources, food, water, and toys if he's interested although I don't know that I've ever seen him play. In this one respect he reminds me of Fraidy. Remember when she was hanging out back there, waiting in the tree for the sun to go down, then showing up for dinner 1st thing before anyone else. But now she seems to have found her own way. When everyone 'left', she disappeared to. At least, I haven't seen her lately. I guess what I'm saying is, maybe due to his deficiencies (in his case his upbringing), he may need more time (like remedial classes to get up to speed) before he can be self sufficient. Luckily, with the buffet available, he can afford to do that. Hopefully, he'll figure it out in time, some by watching others, some by trial and error (which usually takes longer).

But he looks fine, and he didn't scarf his food down as though he were starved or anything.

Hi KyWoods,

I hadn't thought of that. How true. After all, I've been hosting [raccoon] pool parties all summer so why shouldn't I have a pool party, too, even if it is for Christmas?

We have lots of palm trees here, too. In fact our state tree is a palm, and it's displayed on our state flag. I don't have anything against palms, but they aren't my favorites. There are numerous palms in my neighborhood and on my street though. In fact, my neighbor on one side has his yard landscaped almost entirely with palms and related plants - which is an interesting look next to my front yard which is done in roses, irises, crepe and wax myrtles, and magnolias.

Often I like our mild winter weather. Other times I look longingly at photos of snow covered landscapes. One year around New Years I was online (on DG), lurking mostly back then, and it seemed as though everyone, everywhere was talking about winter related stuff: how cold it was, weather it was snowing, etc. It was about 75-80 here at the time, and I was running the AC (at night even). I remember feeling oddly 'left out' in a manner that I now find difficult to articulate.

We do have seasons, although they may not be as distinct as in some areas. But our seasons aren't all of equal length; we don't have 4 season each of which runs for 3 months. Summer lasts the longest, spring and fall are about equal, and winter starts Jan 15 and ends Feb 15 - and there may be a handful of spring/fall days sprinkled around in that brief winter period. The good thing about winter here is that you never get tired of it. If it's really, really cold one night, it will likely be warm again the next day. Likewise, if it's particularly chilly one day, you know it will be back to more tolerable temperature in a day or two. Summer, however, is not at all like that. Once summer starts, it's going to be hotter than Hades every day.

I know this thread is supposed to be about raccoons, and it is mostly. Still, I've learned a lot about what it's like elsewhere from these little chats we have here and there during the down times. And soon you will all be experts on the weather in Charleston. lol

Good point, Cheryl: I'd forgotten what a mess you get when you wash a toy that isn't intended to be washable. And algae is an impressive pain: as you said, any small spot left behind after cleaning will soon dominate the whole. Bleach solution is wonderful for all those uses, as well as being the cheapest and arguably the best disinfectant.

Glad to hear Rupert is still eating with you; and it's fascinating that others are enjoying the pool late at night.

Cheryl,

and it's funny to hear you say, "really really cold at night" because i bet your really cold is nice and mild to us.

i think a really cold here is about -20F
LOL.

but i got to admit .... i'll take my cold over your HOT. I do not do humidity!! period. ;-)

So glad our little Rupert is still around and that your are there for him. Without your buffet he very well may not have even had much of a chance of survival. And thst is the meaning of the season.......to me anyway.

This message was edited Dec 11, 2007 11:02 AM

Cheryl, our weather here in Houston is very similar to yours. I grew up in the Midwest (Illinois, Wisconsin, and Ohio), and I don't miss winter at ALL!!

Hi Ruth,

Given that the Creature from the Black Lagoon would have been right at home in that water (pre-bleach) and seeing how quickly the clean water was being converted again, I figured it was time to take action. Those brackish toys seemed like the one common denominator. Now I have the dry toys basking in the sun - going for the nuclear approach, at least until the kids find them and return them to the pool again.

LOL, Terese,

I misspoke! The other day you said it was 20F - during the day. Even on the really, really, really cold nights we don't get down that far. 28F is about the lower limit here. Daytime highs of 38-40 are the local idea of an absolutely intolerable degree of cold. As you might imagine, the Northern and Mid-Western transplants get a kick out of listening to the natives moan about the cold temps on such days.

nanny,

I had been so busy, I had almost forgotten about THE season. You are right. That is the meaning of the season. I was late tonight, and the little fella was right up there waiting in the tree as usual.

Love the image of the Creature from the Black Lagoon luking in the kiddie pool! Let's not mention that to any toddlers; could produce nightmares. I'm sure you're right that the icky toys were causing the quick loss of water quality; hopefully this will keep things clear for a little while, since the coons enjoy their pool so much even in winter. [Not that the icky water probably deters them, at least not the youngsters...]

Edited to correct typo

This message was edited Dec 12, 2007 12:11 AM

Marylyn,

As a matter of fact, through my various discussions (and some very infrequent lurking) I had come to realize that parts of TX seemed quite similar (to us) - in terms of temp that is. I understand that it is dryer there, less humid. My understanding of the various regions of the country - and even areas outside the country - has grown dramatically since I joined DG. It's like the grown up version of those games where kids learn while having fun. I would never have retained all of these facts in a class room.

I haven't missed winter enough to relocate - but I've sure dreamed of moving a time or 2 in summer.

I think we should all get together and move around the country to whoever's climate is the most desirable at any given time. It must be 75F and sunny somewhere all of the time. ;-)

Ruth,

It was amazing to me that the kids were still using the pool even in its worst state, but the toy level kept growing and the water level kept dropping. But tonight as I watched them drink and play in the clear, clean water I felt like a much better and more caring friend.

That's right...