This thread is part of the ongoing story of Heidi and friends raccoons who visit my backyard buffet. The 08 kits are almost grown now. Below is a pic of Heidi in a very rare moment of relaxation.
Prior thread: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/923397/
Original thread that started it all: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/603944
A few more pics from last night:
I call this one: Oh, my aching back! What a day
Ahhh...If only things could stay quiet like this for a few more restful minutes.
It is a holiday, after all
and even busy Mom's deserve a little time to relax on the holidays
But somebody has to watch those kids...
Hey, this is my pool, and you can't use it!
Can, too!
I'm going over here to count to 5. If you're not gone then...
Mo-om! Timba's in my pool! Make him get out!
(Actually, this kit is in this position because he is eating cake, but I couldn't resist...)
What? No, this is my peanut. I got it from the human over there. Go get your own if you want one.
Brrr. Hey, Mom, I don't think the heater is working in this pool.
Just a few more peanut fishies before I go
Oh, here's another one
gotcha!
You gotta be fast like me to catch these peanut fish, but they sure are yummy.
This is Blondie. I think that look is raccoonish for "Brrrr. I'm a southern raccoon. I shouldn't have to deal with this kind of cold."
Well, now for the slightly bad news. For the past week or so I haven't seen much of the raccoons. I haven't seen Dennis since the last time I mentioned it here, haven't seen fraidy in ages. It's been even longer since I've seen Mink or Sissy. Trouble hasn't shown up for some time either. For the past week or so I've only seen a couple of scared kits now and then. I think one of them may be Dennis'.
Until last night I hadn't even seen Heidi around. The last time I did see Heidi and her bunch they seemed awfully jumpy, but I had no idea why. I've been a little concerned lately with almost no one showing up for dinner and them being all jumpy and quick to run away when they do show up.
Well, last night I noticed that Heidi has a pretty sizable scar, actually several scars but one that is particularly noticeable. I have no idea where she got it, of course. It is interesting though with that huge group I had all summer to now have almost no raccoons at all. I'm wondering if Heidi got the scar while fighting some of the others over territory. I tried without much success to get a good pic of the wound. It doesn't appear to be an open wound, no exposed skin that I could see. The pics I got were blurry. (It was too cold and my fingers were numb out there.)
Here are a few:
If you look closely in this pic you can see two of the lighter scars coming off to the right of the larger scar.
Notice also how chubby she looks. Heidi and Blondie are the only 2 adults left in the area, and both of them look unexpectedly fat. I'm starting to wonder if the presence of so much food over several years may have caused them to change their behavior and have a 2nd litter. That might also explain Heidi's insistence on having the others leave. Even that 'sitting around' that she is doing in the earlier pics is something she usually only does when she is expecting.
Here she is again, perched on two legs and looking pretty rolly-polly
In this one you can see the pattern of scratches/cuts on her back
I feel sure she will be fine, but this is the 1st time I believe I've ever seen her with scars. Here she is next to that kit eating the lil debbie cake
Hmm. Either DG or my connection seems to be slow tonight. Now the preview is showing the wrong pic. I'm going to send it anyway. hoping for the best...
Ok, very strange. that was the wrong pic. trying one more time.
My.. My .. My... she such a fat butterball. She got a nice warm healthy winter coat for sure. Got a feeling they gonna need it this winter.
Was laughing all the way down at th epics til the bottom. Even without enlargign th epics you cna see the scars on her. Good thing got a thick coat to help protect her.
She may have been prtoectign her turff from cruella. Sure she still aroudn somewhere. With the early and hard cold frosts and freezes we have had, maybe they startin to go into hibernation earlier.
There may be somethign else in the woods of berries and such that has riped up and they forging on that for the moment. I knwo the racoons here for weeks now have been on the move. I don't have any here, but travel areas where they are.
Wonder if they kind alike hide nuts or grasses or somethign to for the winter. With it beign so cold, maybe they stayign coser to their winter nests, with the trees turnign bare, they more visible.
last pic of the scars
It Dg running slow and think the computers i general. When it holidays folks seem to be busy on them more.
I tried looking at the pics, but don't see evidence of her teets being enlarged. I knwo when I eat too much have to adjust the sittign position. With all that fur and winter fat she may have to sit that way to get comfortable.
Yep big scars, but if they picked afight with Hedi. Hate to see what the other guy looked like. You can bet she did some damage to them herself.
I love the new series of photos Cheryl... especially the "it's my peanut" one.
regarding the raccoons... hopefully all is well out in the forest. Maybe they are preparing for the long.... err, winter
[i would not call your winter long]
Got to thinking that maybe with it getting so much darker so earlier now way to early it seems, that they are coming out earlier to eat and not finding you are goign back into the woods to forage dan then hunkering down because of the cold.
Aww, poor Heidi! That was my first thought, starlight, that she and Cruella got into it. Or someone's dog got ahold of her. As healthy as she is, she should heal fast, but that is a shame she got hurt. Love all the pics, and the description of all their gifts of food for you, Cheryl! Grubs, yummy!
LOL, starlight,
[quote]"Hate to see what the other guy looks like"[quote]
Isn't that the truth!
Well, if she was fighting with Cruella or any of the [now missing] others, she must have won the fight as I have sat out there for nights alone seeing only one or two kits show up, no sign of Cruella or any of the many adult raccoons who spent much of the summer here. I think one reason I didn't see Heidi very much the past week or so is that I've been keeping very irregular hours, so she can't possibly predict when i will be out there. I went out at 10ish one night, 8ish the next, and midnight the next - just to keep her guessing.
I could understand why I was missing Heidi most nights but was all the more surprised when I didn't run into Dennis or any of the others out there during the irregular hours when Heidi and her kits were not around. Often those who are not welcome when Heidi is around hang around during the off hours either early or late, yet I went out during hours at both ends of the spectrum and didn't find any of the others around. That makes me think she really has run them all off at least for now.
You are right that they are probably getting out there shortly after dark. These days it is dark or getting dark when I get home most nights. Usually, I am hungry and tired and sometimes even cranky and need to rest and get some things done before I can go out there, and that's not counting the nights when I have to run errands on the way home. In spring/summer they would wait for me, but this time of year I guess they are not as hungry (not expecting or nursing) and there is probably still a lot of late summer and fall food out there for them, so they are able to feed themselves - which is a good thing even though I miss them.
I don't know much about raccoon illness. The only signs of sickness i have seen so far have been the wheezing/coughing thing that Heidi does during certain times of year and the barfing thing which, as Ruth pointed out previously, seems to correspond with kits scarfing down a bunch of treats too fast. Otherwise, they always seem quite healthy. Well, except for those last few weeks/days of pregnancy when Heidi always looks quite visibly miserable, but given that by then she looks like she swallowed a beach ball and is carrying 4 or 5 babies around up and down trees and fences in unbearable heat, who wouldn't be miserable?
KyWoods,
Heidi doesn't have an open wound like the one Blondie had in spring - at least not now. She stayed some distance away so I was never able to get a really good look or a good photo, but from what I saw I believe it has already begun to heal, that the wound has already closed. What we are looking at in the photo is the 'cut' in the fur (missing hair).
If Heidi did get into it with a dog, I wouldn't want to see that dog.
Even though grubs, rats, and wild berries aren't my favorites, it's always the thought that counts, and wouldn't that be sweet of them to feed me during my unemployment. I'll be sitting at Starbucks all day typing my book, eh, I mean hand writing my book since this laptop isn't really mine, and the raccoons will bring me dinner from the forest each night. ;-)
Thanks, glad you enjoyed the pics.
Thanks, Terese,
Glad you enjoyed the pics. I was going to take the camera out again tonight but it was just too cold out there.
I love the look on the face of that one little kit who is holding the peanut. I think that might actually be Dennis' kit. If you notice in some of the pics, that kit is very small, smaller than Heidi's kits and is darker in color. Heidi grumbles at that kit but allows it to hang around near her and eat near her, but I am sure that is not her kit. I think she has run Dennis off and is letting Dennis' kits stay. Anyhow, that same kit had the same look on its face several times that night. I missed several great shots of the little fella.
On a lighter note, recently while cleaning out and organizing the pantry, I found that I probably have enough rice, beans, pasta, sauce, veggies and soup in there to get through a year or two if necessary. Seems at the store I buy what I want to eat. Then when I'm hungry and tired and busy I pick something up from a restaurant or fast food because i don't have the time and energy to cook. As a result, I have a well stocked pantry for my upcoming unemployment. ;-)
Actually, numerous folks have come to me about jobs, so while it is still not resolved, things seem to be looking up.
I really enjoyed the series of pictures. They always get a smile and sometimes a laugh out of me.
That first winter you didn't see Heidi in the winter at all did you? Maybe the others are doing what she did the by staying away. With no leaves on the trees and less cover the younger ones may not want to be so exposed even in the dark.
Judy
Hi Judy,
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the pics. Actually, we still have a good bit of leaves on the trees here. You'd think with all of this cold weather lately they would all be gone but they aren't. I think there are a number of trees and bushes back there that never loose their leaves at all and others whose leaves normally stay green until maybe jan or feb, then turn red and drop only a few weeks before spring. I still see adorable little masked faces peeking at me through holly leaves at the top of the fence. The sweetgums still have green leaves. The magnolias are evergreens here.
I really do think that Heidi has chased the other adults off, and most of their kits probably went with them. It's just as well. Although I miss them, I can't afford to feed all of them and their kids and their kids' kids and their ...
Great photos as always, Cheryl! I too wondered for a moment at the pose of Heidi sitting, since that's something you typically see from her only during pregnancy. But realistically she's a bit too mature to bear two litters a year, not to mention that I think she has much more sense than to have a litter born during your area's brief spell of something like winter. Probably just lots of good food plus a super heavy winter coat.
I agree that Heidi's opponent must look dreadful. That's not the kind of damage a dog would do; the dog's weapon are its teeth, and those look like long scratches rather than punctures. Could be Cruella is still out there; I can't imagine Heidi fighting an animal other than a raccoon, or allowing herself to be cornered by one so that fighting was necessary. At least not unless one of her kits was in serious danger; and even then, I'd picture her distracting the attacker so the kit could escape, rather than taking him on directly. She tries so hard to avoid actual fights; makes it hard to imagine a scenario where this would happen. In any case, the wounds do appear to be healing, and her behavior doesn't suggest great pain or infection.
Love the image of the raccoons bringing you food for a change; and yes, Heidi probably would bring a high-value prize like a dead rat. Yum. Glad to hear there are positive prospects on the job horizon; you know we're all pulling for you.
Ruth,
If Heidi were fighting with Cruella over territory and buffet rights, one thing that comes to mind is the way that Cruella and her group gang up on opponents when they fight. They did that with Trouble and with poor Widget that time. Other than the kits, Heidi doesn't have much of an army now, just Blondie. Ursula and the others from that gang are probably still teaming up with Cruella like before when they used to raid the buffet. If they managed to double team Heidi, that may account for the wound.
What about Trouble? He hasn't been around for a while either. He's a pretty big fella now and in the past was quite determined to stay near the buffet. Is it possible he might still be young enough and stupid enough to fight with her over food rights?
As cold as it is out and as much good and easy food as all those other raccoons have had here in the past, it is difficult for me to imagine every one of them leaving without a fight and without trying to sneak back now and again.
Hmm, speak of the Devil. The 1st visitor to show up tonight was Mr Trouble. In a manner befitting the bachelor that he is, he showed up alone stopping atop the fence to survey the situation. As soon as I said, "Come on", he hurried down the fence and started to eat. To double check his ID, I shown my flashlight onto the top of his neck where the remnants of the scar he bares were clearly visible.
Within a short while a number of kits showed up followed a bit later by Heidi. For a week or so now I've seen signs that she may be 'dumping' the kids, pushing them to give her a little distance, arriving alone, etc. Tonight was no different. With Trouble eating in her normal spot, she went over to a nearby area, growling at the kit that tried to follow her.
No doubt drawn by the aroma of the open can of strawberry frosting, Trouble came over to me to look for treats. Raccoon, I find, are not the most patient of souls. While I was making his sandwich, Trouble tried to help himself by snatching the loaf of bread from the other side of the table, but when I grabbed it, he immediately let go. Thankfully, he didn't engage me in a tug of war as Dennis had done in the past.
Trouble came around to my other side and sat down much like a dog waiting for his treat - and I just want to tell you he is huge; huge, I tell you, and massive and solid. I'm not talking fur here either. It was very nice out tonight, so much so that I felt quite comfortable in my tank top, quite a major change from last night when my feet were freezing despite 2 pairs of socks. Anyhow, no need for the fur on their coats to stand upright tonight. No, that boy looks unbelievably solid and huge. He reminds me of a bull dog only wider. Like some body builders, he has no neck. It is as though his face just grows right out of his massive shoulders. Up close I found him a bit intimidating. He behaved quite admirably, but his size was intimidating. He was at my 'back', left corner where he sat calmly eating his sandwich.
While Trouble was busy eating his 1st sandwich, I fixed one for Heidi and tossed it over to her. Quite predictably, as soon as she had finished her sample sandwich, Heidi was at my feet looking for more; but this time the timing was all wrong for Heidi appeared at my feet for her 2nd sandwich just as Trouble finished his sandwich and looked up for another. Now as I mentioned, raccoon are not the most patient of creatures, so this left me in a quandary as to who to feed 1st. Preferring not to keep Heidi waiting, I spoke to her and started to fix her a sandwich. Not to be made to wait, Trouble took this as his cue to come around in front of me at which point Heidi quickly left and went back over to eat dog food and refused to come back even when I held the sandwich out to her and called her name.
This was a most unexpected turn of events. Heidi loves frosting, especially strawberry frosting. It is the one and only food that motivates her to come to my feet and act like a pet, yet in the presence of Trouble she left without the frosting sandwich. She didn't growl or grumble at him as she would normally have done. Her demeanor and her decision to leave so abruptly seemed to indicate that she did not want to tangle with him, and reminded me once again of her recent fight with some unknown 'foe'. And might I add at this point that as big as Heidi looked in the photos from the other night, she shrinks in comparison to Trouble who now seems to grow even larger each time I see him.
After he had eaten another sandwich or so, Trouble wandered on off. I held out a sandwich and called Heidi. With Trouble gone, as soon as I called her name, Heidi came right over to me again and ate a couple of sandwiches. Tonight I noticed, BTW, that I could no longer see any traces of her wound.
I'm glad to hear she came back for her 'frosting-wich'
I certainly hope it wasn't Trouble that she scuffled with in the forest.
and i hope the Bachelor does not try to over take the King's territory. HRH is still the King of Heidi-land.
Oh, I know what you mean, Terese,
I sure hope HRH will be back soon, at least by spring. Seeing how big Trouble has grown makes me more than a little concerned about him taking over. Here's counting on experience...
I'd forgotten about the Cruella style of gang fighting, Cheryl; you may well have the answer there. I certainly hope that Trouble is not so stupidly macho as to pick fights with Heidi, but we know he can be pushy/borderline aggressive about food. Glad to hear he didn't play tug of war with you over the bread; not sure you would have won that round! His size is not surprising, given all the extra nutrition he had as a youngster (and that HRH undoubtedly lacked). Like everyone else, I'm hoping that HRH's golden head will reappear one of these fine days, and that his experience will prevail over Trouble's youth. It would be upsetting in so many ways if Trouble takes his place: Trouble is much less wise and benevolent, and Trouble as neighborhood stud would introduce an extra generation of inbreeding, never a desirable thing. Not to mention that HRH's personality is so wonderfully endearing, it hurts just to think of him losing his kingdom. Bound to happen to both HRH and Heidi eventually, of course, but not something to look forward to.
