Heidi Chronicles: Winter Slow Down

Cool: kids beyond Rupert showed up tonight? Tell us more when time permits!

This morning (a 9AM even) we had an incredibly dense fog (with accidents everywhere around town); so against my better judgement but not wanting to become a statistic, I turned on my headlights (in my near-antique 94 Civic which predates auto-off headlights) to commute through the dense cloud. Naturally, when I arrived back at my car in the darkness around 6PM, the battery was dead, and since I'm on the 'late shift' virtually everyone else was long gone. To make matters even worse I work in an area where access is severely restricted. a quick call to my friends who live in the area and have access rights confirmed that they were all out doing something else.

I called AAA to see if they had anyone who could get in to help me. Now those of you who were with us in spring of 07 when we considered relocating Trouble may recall that the facility where i work is enormous and traverses some 4 or so municipalities. Well, the AAA guy said they could, in fact, get someone in to help me - if I would just meet them at the gate. "Oh, no problem then. I'll just mosey on out there to the gate. It can't be more than 20 miles!" (voice going up noticeably on the word 'miles') Actually, I told him if I could get to the gate I wouldn't be calling.

So, needless to say, I was a bit late getting home! As I drove through the darkness, I imagined little Rupert up there in his tree all hungry and wondering if I had forgotten him today. Hold on, little guy, I thought.

This time, when I got home, I took Widget out on a leash - whereupon he protested greatly about not being permitted to rush the fence and jump up and down scaring the raccoons. As soon as I put Widget away and returned to the feeding area, I was sure I had seen a shifting of the dark tones in the tree overhead. I called to Rupert (and Heidi) as I had the night before, and once again saw Rupert descending the tree (as he had done the night before). He really seemed (on both nights) to be responding to my voice in calling him.

Rupert came down and ate, but he seemed a little jumpy, constantly looking over his shoulder to the forest beyond. After a few minutes, he turned and left abruptly. I recognized these as the signs that another raccoon was on the way.

Sure enough, no sooner had Rupert left than another raccoon appeared on the fence...and then another ...and another ...and another. Could it possibly BE? OMG, yes, it was Heidi and the kids. As they reached the pool, I noticed their approach was just a bit stilted. I spoke, "Come on" to greet them, and they responded instantly, their paces quickening almost to the raccoon version of a jog.

As the 4 of them spread out before me to eat from the 2 large dishes, a smile took over my face. I was so wonderful to see them all again, and they looked so good, so healthy. At their adult size, it was difficult for all 4 of them to stand shoulder to shoulder before the dishes, so Blondie hung off the end, sitting in her father's favorite Winnie the Pooh position and reaching sideways with both 'hands' to pick up kibble from the dish beside her.

Dennis and Cissy each came over separately to visit me and check for treats. Dennis 'wrestled' with me for the empty food box and pushed my empty hand gently with his nose. Cissy sat upright at my feet and reached up with her 'hands' to grasp my fingers. Using both hands, she felt my fingers for a few minutes in a manner reminiscent of a scaled down version of that time so long ago when Dennis 1st 'read' my finger like a blind person reading braille.

It was wonderful to see them again, and comforting to see that the kids had not forgotten me during our time apart. I wished that I had taken some small treat out with me - and a camera, but after so many false attempts I hadn't dared to imagine that I would see them tonight.

And, yes, they were all in and out of the pool like college students at a party, drinking and playing. As I watched them move through the clear water, I was glad that I had taken the time to clean the pool - especially since we have been experiencing very dry conditions since early November, the driest Nov on record, in fact. (So I'm sure they really do need that water source right now.)

So did you finally get ahold of someone to come and help you with your car, or did you hike the 20 miles to let AAA in??? How frustrating!

This message was edited Dec 12, 2007 1:50 AM

I should clarify. Until Monday morning when I went out to find all that dirt in the bottom of the freshly cleaned pool, I honestly believed that Heidi and the kids were off somewhere else, perhaps deeper in the forest. Until then, I thought perhaps Rupert was the only one left. But try as I might to refute the evidence, I simply could not accept that Rupert had tracked all that dirt into the pool I'd cleaned the night before. It was then that I realized Heidi and the kids must be in the area. That quantity of dirt on the bottom of the pool was the kids' signature, after all.

But if they were still here and were still visiting the pool, why was I having so much difficulty finding them? It was still an odd mystery. Were they intentionally avoiding me, hanging out in the trees each evening waiting for me to leave? But why? Were they now afraid of me when they had never been so before? My mind raced with questions.

I think 2 things played a part in bringing us together tonight: (1) the dead battery which detained me long enough to cross their path and, perhaps, (2) the decision to keep the dog on a leash now that his time outside conflicts with theirs.

Hi KyWoods,

As for hiking to the gate, no, I wasn't up for that. Sleeping in the car sounded better. (lol) I don't mean to knock AAA. I think they provide a great service, and I was surprised that they had anyone who could get in period, but at my moment of peak frustration the request that I somehow 'go to the gate' seemed ridiculous and only served to further ruffle my feathers. (I can imagine other situations, especially those occurring during the day when colleagues might drive me to the gate, in which that service might be quite handy.)

As I sat there pondering my very limited and diminishing options, I new that the facility had a security group who might be able to give me a 'jump' if only I could figure out how to get in touch with them. The facility operator had gone off duty an hour earlier leaving me at a loss to obtain the number. Luckily, as part of my responsibilities some 3yrs earlier I had been required to place a call to security occasionally. I never bothered to memorize the number as it was written down near the phone back then; so I wracked my brain to try to 'see' that number, and, figuring that as my only real option, tried a few combinations of the numbers that came to me until I got through. Whew! They came right out and got me on my way, and I was sure happy to see them.

Naturally, when the problem was solved and I got home the phone was ringing off the hook all night with people calling me back (since I'd left them messages about my dilemma).

So, yes, I did get help. Thanks for asking. (...and I think my dilemma may have held me up just long enough to run into Heidi and the kids for a change.)

Edited to fix the spell-checker error. On autofix it is determined to convert KyWoods to KeyWords. This one got past me.


This message was edited Dec 13, 2007 8:20 PM

Awesome: talk about adversity turning into great luck! So glad you got to see Heidi and the kids again, and most important that you were able to get home safely. As the kids approach adult size and independence, their trust in you is even more special.

Whew, so glad to hear you're ok and the kids are back.

Hi doccat,

I really wasn't in any danger, just major aggravation. Even though I was alone in the dark in a seemingly remote spot, due to ultra strict enforcement on the rules of who can enter the area, it must be one of the safest places on earth - if you have to be stranded somewhere. When you call AAA, BTW, that's the 1st question they ask you after your ID number, "Are you in a safe place?" Not sure what they do differently if you are not safe, but I think it's cool that they ask.

I was tired and I wanted to go home; so the whole thing was a big aggravation; but at no time did I feel remotely threatened. In the absolute worst case - and I knew it wouldn't come to that - I could have slept there and gotten help the next morning when folks came to work.

It was good to finally get the car moving again though and great to see Heidi and the kids again.

"Keywords"??? LOL, darn auto-correct! Thank goodness you hit upon the right phone number for security! You did program it into your phone since then, right?

Tell her KyWoods!!! lol

Oops! lol (you have no idea how many times I've had to change that back at the last minute. i'll fix it when I get home.)

You bet I did. As soon as I hung up the phone, I hit the save button. I was asking around today and found that for the most part nobody seems to know that number. It was just lucky that I had to use the number a while back - years ago. At 1st I didn't think I could remember it, but once I realized that i wouldn't be going home any time soon unless I remembered it, the neural pathways became much clearer. lol

Hi Ladies,

Believe it or not, I've read the whole saga & am reading today's messages TODAY! So glad to hear that Heidi & her kids are still around & haven't forgotten you, Cheryl - that must have made your day!

Thanks to the education, this thread has provided, I'm helping my 'coon (& other?) friends out, since the weather has turned cold - okay, it's in the 50's during the day & 30's at night - that's cold here! On Sunday night, I put out some hard boiled egg & avacado left over from a salad... it was there the next morning, but gone when I returned from work. Yesterday morning, there was raccoon dirt in the cat water, so last night I refilled the (outside) cat bowl, which I usually only fill in the morning, & put out some more of those cat treats, that are too tough (kinda' like beef jerky) for my cats - this morning, all the food was gone. Of course, I found my siamese mix chomping on them later in the evening! LOL, but there were still plenty for the 'coons. I plan to fill that cat bowl, at night, every couple of days... See what an influence you've had on people, all over the country, Cheryl! :-)

Liz

This message was edited Dec 12, 2007 3:41 PM

Liz -- welcome to the Heidi and Friends fan club.

Have to admit I put some watermelon that I dropped on the floor out for ours last night, plus took the rinds & threw them over in the woods across the street for the oppossum.

Hi, Liz!

Wow! That was quick.
Glad to have you back with us (in real time). Such a shame to send those leftovers to the landfill when so many hungry creatures would love to have them. It's like we are changing the world one person at a time.

Edited to say: I was just thinking about your words, Liz. I'm often told that the only person you can change is yourself. I guess the missing part of that sentence is "and maybe sometimes when you change yourself you may also open a door through which others follow." Thank you!

This message was edited Dec 13, 2007 12:35 AM

nanny,

The wildlife in your neighborhood must have thought the holidays had come early this year when they found those presents!

I wish I had more time right now to tell you about tonight's events. The next few days look pretty busy. Be back as soon as possible to fill you in. In the mean time, here is a (slightly out of focus) Dennis. (Out of focus because he's only inches from the lens and I didn't have time to change to a closeup mode. Talk about comfortable in front of the camera.)

I call this one, "Hey, while I'm here, could I sit on your knee and tell you what I want for Christmas? Peanuts, grapes, yogurt, the puffy white things, more toys...oh, and switches for Cissy and Blondie"

This message was edited Dec 13, 2007 12:38 AM

Edited to add that the charcoal gray blob at the bottom of the page and against which Dennis is leaning is my knee/leg.

This message was edited Dec 13, 2007 11:45 AM

And here is Blondie doing a little endorsement for Cabot's yogurt.

Welcome, Liz and nanny, to the ranks of folks recycling food to the hungry mouths in the wild! These threads have been very special from the outset, but become more so each time a new person begins to appreciate and help the wild creatures.

How special is it, Cheryl, to have a wild raccoon too close for the camera's normal lens to focus? Awesome!

That is true of the parts of TX that are farther inland than us. I'm in Houston, which is right on the Gulf of Mexico and is under a humidity bubble. Our mildew probably keeps pace with yours! :-) The thermal-bubble (not a correct technical term! LOL) is very narrow... San Antonio and Austin - or even Bryan/College Station, where Dave lives, and which is very close to Houston - get hotter than us in the summer and much colder in the winter. We hit the 90s by the end of March and pretty much stay there until the end of October. We usually have a few days in the 100s every summer, but farther west, although they actually have more temperate springs than we do, they hit 105° and 110° in July and August and stay there for long stretches at a time. They get snow and ice every winter, and we get it once a decade - maybe. We average about 50" of rain per year and are pushing 75" for this year. San Antonio gets about 30". I have no idea why anyone lived in Houston before air conditioning was invented!!

That close up picture of Dennis is fantastic! I'm SO excited that they are still around and are so comfortable with you that they'll even touch your hands! :-) And this..
is hilarious!! LOL

Looking forward to the next installment...

Wow. your camera got a darn good close up of Blondie's tongue. She can do that " Work' it baby' commercial. Good to the last lick. : )

What I am waiting for is to see what happens next spring when the gang all shows back up. It wil be very interestign to see if they will remember that you and yoru touch are safe or if you wil have to win their trust all over again. Wonder just how much memory they do retain.

>>next spring when the gang all shows back up..... if they will remember that you and your touch are safe or if you will have to win their trust all over again. Wonder just how much memory they do retain.

I just went back to see when Heidi returned this Spring.

on 2-22-07 Cheryl commented that she couldnt wait til Heidi came back, then one week later on 2-28-07 she felt Heidi was back [recall the fresh footprint on the Adirondack chair?]

last year they left possibly mid to late Oct, and here it is Mid-Dec and they are still around.... so it's possible that they never truly leave completely, or this is the first year for that. It does seem Rup may be sticking around most the winter.

So -- I'm guessing that they will remember the Food Goddess quite well ... possibly a lil apprehensive if they do indeed vanish for a month or so .... but how Cheryl keeps referring to them an ninjas ... maybe they never really fully leave, and she just never saw signs of them... who knows.

But some of the ones that were kids last year, Trouble and Fraidy did approach Cheryl early on in the new season.

though YES it will be interesting, as there will be more "grown" coons in the mix, possibly claiming a territory.... but wouldnt it be nice if they could stake claim to parts of the "Buffet of Edan" and live in harmony .... well we can dream can't we.

scutler, I don't want to put a damper on things, but I do know for a fact that raccoons are not only carriers of rabies but they also can get canine distemper. So all of you that have raccoons around make sure your dogs are vaccinated!

My doggy's shots are always up-to-date.

Ruth,

I hadn't looked at the 'focus' problem in that light. How true!

Thanks, Marylyn!

Our 2 areas certainly do sound quite similiar, even down to the annual rainfall which for us is 52". Charleston is also in it's own little 'bubble'. Just 10-15mi outside the city in any direction but along the coast to the south, the low temps in winter drop by 15-20 deg F with considerable increase in frequency. They have a longer and more distinct winter and single digit overnight lows.

I was very happy to see Heidi and the kids again.

starlight,

When I 'developed' the pics I was surprised to see that tongue shot. The focus was off a bit there, too, but in that case due to the fact that in the dark I can't see what I'm shooting and so can't focus. I'm limited to point and shoot w/auto focus and a prayer.

Since the raccoons are still here, I'm beginning to think they may stay all 'winter' this year. In spring 07 when I saw Heidi again after the winter vacation, she was a little cautious at 1st. If I sat out there she wouldn't show up. For a few days, I sat at the patio table up near the house but where she could see me. Then I worked my way closer. In a week or two we were old friends again. But, remember, Heidi was raised in the wild and was an adult when I met her. My theory is that the kids, having been raised around me, will be more likely to retain the trust we've established, but time will tell.

Terese,

Feb 28, huh? That's a lot sooner than I thought. I'd better get in gear. Not a lot of time left to clean up the garden and rearrange the 'Buffet of Eden'. (lol) Hoping to use what I've learned to find a better configuration for hosting large parties. Now that I know they establish territories, I need to see if I can design a better layout with that in mind. Of course, I'm still limited by the boundaries of the yard and garden.

gardener,

We need to stay informed about the risks and such; that's not putting a damper on things. My dog is on a regular schedule with his vet such that he, too, stays up to date on all shots and such. I also discuss with his vet (at the annual checkup) the fact that raccoons frequent my yard at night (but not that the raccoons and I are 'friends'). Consequently, Widget gets an extra shot (don't recall the name) for an illness or parasite that he may contract by sharing a water source with them and other wildlife. But thanks for reminding all of us.

I'm with you, KyWoods,

Although not by intent, I do a better job of keeping up with Widget's medical tests, shots, meds, etc than my own. When rushed, I'm inclined to cancel mine, but not his.

LOL, yep, I think our dogs get better medical care, food, etc., than a lot of us do! Spoiled rotten furkids!

Rupert enjoys one of those giant Margaritas

"I was just wondering if you have any more yogurt." (Dennis)

Family dinner. (left to right: Cissy, Blondie, Heidi)

Dennis enjoys a yogurt.

Where there's a will ... (Rupert)

...there's a way.

"OK, but I just want to look in the chair to see if you missed a yogurt up there." (Dennis)

Its great to hear about the latest visits. It must be such a neat feeling to have your fingers "read"by the little ones. I just loved the closeup shots and am still amazed that the flashes do not seem to bother them.

Judy

Hi Judy,

Yes, I love it when they do that thing with my finger(s). Their little paw pads feel like velvet, and it's nice to see that they are also curious about us (like we are of them). The fact that they are neither frightened nor even disoriented by the flashes (even at close range) is a constant source of amazement for me.

I look forward to adding the story - tomorrow maybe.


Below: Here's Blondie trying to get a little more out of that yogurt cup. Check out the shine on that coat.