Heidi Chronicles: March Mayhem

I think KYWoods is right. When you look at the action on the beach or around the pool it is the kids that are in the water most of the time and the adults are spending more of their time hanging out...

The cat litter tray I put out two years ago. It gave up the ghost from freezing and thawing so much. I found a big rubber feed mixing tray at Tractor Supply and splurged on it. Its a lot bigger than the cat litter tray and hopefully it will last a lot longer. I just got it the other day and didn't put much water in it. They managed to turn it over last night. It was on a bit of a slope so I will have to find a flatter spot to put it on but they were checking it out anyway.

I dug out a small indentation for a racoon 'pond' so they would stop flipping it over--maybe that would help you, jschweizer?

KyWoods I hadn't thought of doing that. I did brace it with some fallen logs for now,but I like your idea and will try it. Thanks!

Judy

Audrey, it's an urban (or maybe rural) legend that raccoons have no saliva; it just isn't the case. Having seen them with rabies when they're unable to swallow their saliva, I can state emphatically that they produce plenty of saliva. I think they just enjoy the tactile sensation of things in water, as Cheryl said. And remember that in some ecosystems, raccoons prey on fish, tadpoles, frogs and other creatures in murky water; suspect they hunt them as much by feel as by sight in those cases.

They may even be searchign to see if there any rocks or pebble s anywhere in the water to over turn to look for crabs and crayfishes and such things that hide under them.

Cheyls pool a safe palc e for the yougns to play and practivce their skills ad yep kids wil be kids.

Judy,

My cat litter container (just the cheap WalMart model) is still looking like new, but then as previously stated we don't get very cold here. Occasionally it dips below freezing briefly overnight, but even then I can't recall seeing frozen water in the pool or the cat litter box. I usually put the water almost up to the top in that container. That probably makes it less likely to freeze solid. I've never even seen the surface of the pool freeze though.

Here the biggest risk to products left outside is the harsh summer sun, but that container is well shaded by the willow tree and a bunch of hydrangea shrubs. So far so good.

Mine has never turned over either, however, it's not on a slope of any kind and again I fill it to within an inch or two of the top - and the rain keeps it there.

Good idea about the animal water container. Maybe try filling it a bit deeper both to minimize freezing and to make it more stable. Just a thought.

It has rained relentlessly here for days and days without any letup in sight - until today.

I skipped the nightly feedings for a few nights. It was difficult - for me and them, but I figured it would do us all good. I didn't want to go out in the driving rain, and I figured it would be good to remind the raccoons that I am not their sole source of food. One night I could still hear them out there at 2AM arguing amongst themselves under my bedroom window, apparently still having not entirely given up the vigil of waiting for me to come out and feed them. It was all I could do to keep from giving in, but I knew I was doing the right thing. As adorable as it is to have a raccoon or 3 waiting for you on the back patio, a group of 18 or so can be a bit daunting. I wanted to be sure they knew that I might not always be there to feed them.

For days, I hid out in the front part of the house - so they wouldn't see me. LOL, as if it's possible to hide from them. I wouldn't even let Widget go into the kitchen for fear they would see him and know we were home.

Last night, although it was still raining, I went to the back door and peeked out around 10:30PM. It was a soggy mess out there, and there was not a raccoon in sight. I opened the door to get a better look. A little, triangular head peeked out at me from the shrubbery across from the patio a ways. A moment later, Dennis emerged from the shrubbery all soaking wet. She walked straight up to the door where I was standing, still holding it open. I had to close the door quickly when she got to the threshold as she looked quite interested in coming inside.

Surprised to see just Dennis alone waiting out there in the rain, I handed her a cookie through a gap in the door. Even now, a day later I can still recall how adorable she looked as she reached up with her little wet hands to grab the cookie. Just as I closed the door again , Bast appeared from out of nowhere. She looked at Dennis in amazement as if to say, "Now how did you do that?" as Dennis sat chomping on her cookie. Bast walked up to the closed door still looking quite confused.

Knowing they must be hungry after days of feeding themselves the old fashioned way, I went out into the rain with a bucket of cat food and a pocket of cookies (for Dennis). The entire buffet area was under several inches of water, so I ended up pouring handfuls of food on the lawn nearby. Only Heidi, Bast, Dennis, and 2 youngsters were there. Dennis hopped up onto the little table beside my bench. Even though it was still raining, I couldn't resist the urge to sit for a minute, even as water collected in my bucket with the remaining food. I put Dennis' food on top of the table to keep it 'less wet' and stayed long enough to feed her several cookies before returning to the comfort of my dry house.

awwwwwwwwwww what a sweet story. Poor all preganant and wet and cold Dennis. get you winter clothes back otu though cuz mondya and tuesday we gonna be back to freezign again. You becareful, cuz if yoru property stil soggy and wet then all that water wil probably freeze so ya don't go skatign and slip yoru sacriliyack or how evry ya say and spell it. LOL

We've been having monsoon season here, too, Cheryl, and I'm thoroughly over it - as I'm sure you and the raccoons are also! Today the sun came out for a couple hours in the afternoon; so that's what it looks like! Everyone seemed to migrate to the garden shops to buy annuals; since we're forecast to have two nights next week in the 20's, they must all have lots more disposable income than I do (lol).

The image of dripping wet Dennis reaching for her cookie is priceless: an "Oliver" moment, to be sure.

Dennis is being very sweet these days. The other night when I was out there with them in the rain (for a few minutes), Dennis stood on the table beside my bench eating cookies while I passed them to her one by one.

Bast is still very grumbly around the others but seems to be trying to emulate Dennis in her dealings with me. (That Bast is quite the genius, I tell you.) Lately, she is behaving in the most charmingly sweet manner in her interactions with me. I swear she must be copying Dennis in order to get more treats.

Last night when Bast came over (as she usually does when her food runs out) to take Dennis' spot, I reached down and put my hand on Dennis' back in a supportive embrace. Dennis lifted her head and growled ever so lightly as Bast came near. Then, in an unprecedented move that I think must have stemmed from seeing my hand in the mix, Bast turned and walked away w/o moving in to take the food. Hmm. Don't know how long that will continue to work, but...

Lastly, I'm pretty sure Heidi is getting ready to bring her new kits to dinner!

The night when I went out in the rain to feed a handful of soaking wet raccoons that included Heidi, the near deafening sound of wailing frogs filled the night air, but far off in the distant forest I could almost swear that I kept hearing another sound superimposed on that frog sound. This other sound was one of screaming baby animals of some kind, and I'm inclined to think it might have been the sound of frightened kits left in a distant tree by one of the raccoons while she came to the house in search of dinner. Not only was I fairly certain of the presence of this 2nd sound amidst the constant drone of croaking frogs, but I noticed Dennis looking toward the forest at the same time that I heard these apparent cries emanating from beyond the trees.

Last night, throughout the meal the youngsters kept stopping to gaze toward the far end of the fence where the lower limbs of the large beechnut tree, newly outfitted in its finest spring splendor, swayed, danced, and jiggled in endless animation as though something, somewhere had suddenly breathed life into the giant tree. When the raccoons would stop eating to stare at the shuddering tree, I would look, too, each time expecting to see a raccoon climb down onto the fence from the dancing limb, but no such raccoon ever appeared, yet the fresh coat of leaves that clothed the old tree continued to dance in the moonlight.

Eventually, it became clear that the source of all that movement in the beechnut tree must surely be a raccoon (or raccoons), and the only raccoons who would make all that commotion and never come down to dinner would be kits left there by their mom and instructed to stay put. Apparently, much like their human counterparts raccoon moms have not figured out the key to keep kits still, for while they stayed in the tree they certainly did not remain motionless.

Moments after Heidi left, I looked over there to see that the motion in the beechnut tree had stopped abruptly. The beechnut tree is one of two trees where Heidi is known to put her kits when she come to dinner, the Heidi tree (as seen in the YouTube video) is the other. She usually starts them off in the beechnut tree perhaps because it is close enough for her to keep an eye on them but far enough away to seem safe from the goings on in the yard.

Hi starlight,

Thanks for the heads up on the weather. I just checked the weather channel. Unless things change it looks like most of that front will miss us. Our forecast for Mon is 74F with 69F for Tues. Our lowest low is 37F on Tue. No snow likely unless that changes.

Hope the unexpected spring chill doesn't hurt your plants.

after today ... our weather is forecasted to be winter-like til the 12th!! Ugggg, i'm so tired of winter.

Ohhhhhhhhhh sprignbabies, just in time for Easter. heidi really be lookgin forfood now and chasing other preg females off soon when she brings them kits i imagine.

Hoep you got yoru ptichign arm ready for the new oens that wil be hiding in the bushes and alogn the fence line

Hi Ruth,

We are finally back to gorgeous sunshine. Yep, lol, that's what it looks like. Hope you are getting some of it, too.

You sound very 'Heidi-esque', possessing the wisdom to look at the big picture while the average person just runs out to Home Depot in search of plants at the 1st sign of sunshine. I fear I would be in the larger group if I had the time and energy.

Dennis really is a joy for me, and in her own strange way, she helps her entire group, because no matter how wet or cold or icky it is outside or how sleepy I am or whatever, it is very difficult for me to say no to that friendly face sitting there at my patio door waiting semi-patiently for dinner; and once she lures me out into the night food in hand, everyone benefits...or was that the master plan all along, to send Dennis to the door to draw me out...

Ohhh, Terese,

I sure hope the weather improves for you soon. I can imagine that you must be very tired of cold weather now. If it is any consolation, I am trying to ride the brakes here, fearing the current mild temps will give way to summer's oppressive heat all too soon.

Wishing you a lovely spring very, very soon!

Hi starlight,

You know what? Just last night I noticed that even though the weather had cleared and the water had all drained away and it was very nice out, the number of raccoons present at dinner had been cut by half. Whereas I had counted 18 or more just a few days earlier, last night there were only 8. I wondered if Heidi had begun clearing house to make way for her kits. Don't know if this will last, but the smaller number out there was much better and more manageable. Here's hoping.

I had been hoping to find time to rearrange the furniture out there to try to make a spot where Heidi might feel safer bringing her kits. I'd better get out there this weekend and get to work before it is too late. Even if the changes I make are for the best, they will be viewed as suspect for a day or so; consequently, I need to make them before the kits arrive.

Thinking of those tiny baby raccoons out there is all the more reason to hope we don't get the really cold weather.

Ya we got the cold comign hard freezes a dn then mroe rain. I don't want to see anymroe rain for a bit two weeks was enough straight now we workign on week three.

Wonder if Heidi wil have kits follow her if weather rainign at yoru place too bad.

Hi starlight,

So sorry about the nasty weather. I understand that you are in the plant business, so bad weather can be a double whammy for you. I sure hope it will be over soon and that it won't do any serious damage to your business.

I guess we were lucky. We only had 3 or 4 days of steady rain - and that was more than enough. After a few days everything was icky, nasty, soggy, and wet. I can't imagine weeks of that. We got quite a bit of rain in a short time though, enough to fill that 8-10in pool to the very top and over in a single day. The day before I had emptied it to let mother nature take care of refilling it with fresh water - and she sure did!

I don't think Heidi will bring the kits to dinner if the weather is rainy or stormy. She is always extremely cautious when she brings the kits to the buffet for the 1st time or two. Everything has to be absolutely perfect or it's a no go. She will not take any chances were her babies are concerned. If a dog barks once far off in the distance while she is showing them how to navigate the fence, she will turn the whole group around and take them back to the [tree] nursery. I don't think she will bring them in the pouring rain, but the weather here looks good today and about 1/2 of the 10 day forecast is for sunny days, so she should have some options for bringing the kits to dinner.

I suspect that Heidi was prompted to stash the kits in the tree the past night or so in part by my actions. The last few days when I didn't feed the raccoons, they spent hours in the yard waiting. If Heidi's kits are getting old enough to wander about, it may not be so easy for her to leave them at home alone for that long. Knowing that she might be gone a while, stashing them in a nearby tree was probably the best solution for a single mom w/o daycare.

We're supposed to get more cold and maybe even snow flurries Monday. How unfair, to tease us with days in the 60's and 70's, then way back down again!
I loved your description of Dennis taking treats right through the back door. How cute!

Thank you, KyWoods,

Dennis was so cute that night.

Sorry about the weather. Surely the cold can't last much longer. Maybe this storm will pass through quickly with spring riding on its heals. : )

Oh, you are not going to believe this.

Tonight, everybody was hungry and waiting at the back door. Bast walks in front of me, mostly under my feet, trying to keep everyone else at a distance. Every other step I have to fuss at her to move out of the way. I've taken to hissing at her which seems to work better than words to get my point across.

Perhaps because she was just very hungry or maybe to make sure Bast understands who is the boss out there, when we reached the buffet and I tossed a handful of food behind my bench for Bast as I always do, Heidi stopped and sat down to eat it. (Note that the otherwise grumpy Bast nibbled around the edges but did NOT growl or otherwise argue with Queen Heidi about this infringement.)

I walked past the bench and called to Heidi, but to no avail. She had food (even if it was Bast's food) and wasn't paying me any attention. I stood at the hole in the ground where Heidi normally eats trying to figure out what to do. If I put food there the others would take it, and everyone would be in the wrong place and pandemonium would ensue. But Heidi seemed quite content to eat Bast's food over behind the bench - at least until I sat in the bench. Anyhow, once Heidi starts eating, she is not inclined to come when I call her unless I produce grapes or something, so it seemed most unlikely that I would be able to call her over to her real spot to eat, but I was determined to try...

There Heidi was on the other side of the bench eating and ignoring me. I called her name and made that clicking sound. I have no idea why since I have never used that sound with any of them before. I guess I did it hoping to get her attention since she seemed quite focused on the food she was eating. I never, ever would have guessed it, but just like that Heidi stepped away from the food she was eating and came around the bench to where i was standing calling her. I was so amazed! So I filled her 'dish' and everyone took there proper position for dinner.

At one point tonight I had the faintest sense that something was touching my tush. At 1st I thought, "naw! Must be my imagination." Then I turned around to see one of the smallish kits standing upright behind my bench. Often when the raccoons get the courage to approach me up close for the 1st time, they seem to feel most comfortable approaching me from behind. I guess it's that thing [Ruth said] about avoiding the pointy end. I guess just as I feel safest touching a raccoon from behind (on the back) for the 1st time, they feel safest touching my back when 1st getting to know me. That side doesn't bite or scratch or have hands to grab you.

I sincerely appreciate the compliment (and being compared to Heidi in any sense is most definitely a compliment), but truthfully I've learned the hard way about the late frosts in this area. A few years back, we had several below-freezing nights in early April, followed by several days of winds in the 40 - 50 mph range. All the young plants that had just broken dormancy were hard hit, and some were lost. Now I wait a week or two beyond the supposed "last frost date" of mid-April to start planting tender things; can't help the ones in the ground from the past year, but can avoid killing new ones. And I chuckle as I watch the frenzy of early garden shoppers, and imagine the nursery owners laughing all the way to the bank: they get to sell your spring plantings to you twice!

Bast is definitely clever in figuring out to copy Dennis' behavior toward you; that girl is going places. And how cute the little one gently exploring you from the rear; makes perfect sense, and must have made you smile. Fascinating that Heidi responded to your clicking sound; will be interesting to see if that proves consistent. And it does sound like we're not far from meeting Heidi's new crew: that's exciting! Will be interesting to see if they resemble Trouble, or if some have HRH's coloring. It's unlikely that the king sired her litter, but it would be lovely to have one more litter to remember the big guy by.

Hi Ruth,

I'm so glad you brought up HRH as I've been wanting to mention that I have not seen Trouble in ages. His lengthy absence makes me wonder where he might be and also gives me new hope for HRH. I figure it's at least possible that HRH may be out there somewhere, wherever Trouble is. Either that forest is very hard on adult males, or those guys have a camp out there somewhere.

I wasn't necessarily suggesting that the clicking worked for Heidi, although I guess that is possible. I was just reporting the events as they happened. I was incredibly happy that I was able to call Heidi when she was already eating. This was a 1st.

Of course, I meant the Heidi comparison as a compliment. I have incredible and ever growing respect for Heidi. She is incredibly wise. You might laugh if you knew the extent to which I actually respect her. She is practically some kind of oracle to me, I think. I don't know how to extract most of the information from her, but if it has anything to do with her world I'm convinced she knows about it.

Still watching, still enjoying all the little raccoon antics, and still learning lots.

Hi Sharran!

Great to hear from you, and happy to know that you are still with us.

Right now Bast's behavior is a study in contrasts. She is still behaving like a perfect lady while near me, but the rest of the time she absolutely walks around grumbling and growling in a very low voice non stop even when no one is messing with her and there is seemingly nothing at all about which to argue. Remember a few years back when Heidi was as big as a beach ball and grumbled everywhere she went? Well, that is exactly what Bast reminds me of now. I am so not kidding. She just walks around making a low growl almost non stop as if to deter anyone who might even be thinking of messing with her at some point in the future. Man is she ever one surly mom-to-be.

But even she still does not mess with Heidi. Tonight Heidi must have been hungry. Even with youngsters circling around her like so many scavengers waiting for their turn at a carcass, Heidi stuck around until there was only a scant handful of kibble left at her station. One youngster was even so bold as to make a dash for Heidi's hole and crouch down there, but rather than yield to this badly executed steal, Heidi lunged teeth first at the youngster's side driving her away.

I gave Dennis a few Peeps, but instead of feeding them to her by hand, I put them on the table just over her head so that she could reach up and get them at will. When she would stand up at my knee begging for a treat, I would point to the Peeps on the table. Dennis would stand up, look at the Peep there, and then cast a look of disappointment at me as if to say, "what, don't I rate hand feeding anymore?" before taking a Peep down to the ground to eat it. Later, while Dennis was eating her kibble at my feet, Bast happened by grumbling in her usual low tone. Knowing that she was on the way over to take Dennis' spot, I reached down and put my hand on Dennis' back for support as I had done the night before whereupon Bast turned and walked away still arguing to herself and to anyone who would listen.

Near the end, Bast who had long since finished her own rations and everything else she could find in the area or take from the youngsters stood nearby watching Heidi and waiting in hopes of getting whatever Heidi left behind. When Heidi finally did walk away, there were several youngsters waiting, but it was Bast who walked in to fill the void left by the matriarch and eat the remaining handful of food.

No sign of any [new] kits tonight or of any jiggling, dancing trees.

Ok, this isn't exactly about raccoons, but...

On Thursday at work I kept seeing small birds darting to and fro outside the window of my 2nd story office. Intrigued by this constant arial display, I went over to the window to look out, hoping to get a closer look and see what was going on out there. There in the canopy of the pear tree just outside the window was a huge flock of Cedar Waxwings. Now to many of you this may seem mundane, but to me it is an awesome thing to behold because Cedar Waxwings are not residents of Charleston. They make a brief stopover here each spring on their way North, and this is only the 2nd time that I have ever seen one in my entire life. Of course, since they only come through here on their bi-annual group sojourn, one cannot see 'a' Cedar Waxwing here. Cedar Waxwings only occur here on the rarest and most brief occasion and only in a huge and most amazing group.

It was an incredible thing to have them stop off outside my office this way even if only for a few minutes, and I was delighted for the opportunity to see them. I stood there at the window for a few minutes to watch them before going back to my desk to work. A few minutes later when I looked up again, they were gone.

Wow, I've yet to see one cedar waxwing, much less a flock; that must have been a real treat!

Oh, I know you meant the Heidi reference as a compliment, and trust me, I'm right there with you in your respect for Heidi. She's a remarkable animal, and I've never had a problem respecting animals more than I do most people (lol).

Wouldn't worry too much about Bast's nonstop grumbling. This is likely her first pregnancy, so she must be unsure what's happening, and clearly is not enjoying the side effects. I suspect many human mothers could relate. Given her smarts, I suspect she'll be a fine mother once they arrive and she no longer has to carry them around. And Heidi's appetite is not surprising; if the kits are nearly big enough to introduce to the diner, the nutritional drain on her is huge; they are very mobile, burning lots of calories, and essentially useless at hunting/foraging at this stage.

I wodner what wil happen when Hedi starts bringing her kits finalyll down to eat and then Bast showign up with hers. I sens e a rumble in the makign if Bast this grumbly nwo wonder hwo she gona be with the other youg kit s there. Wonder if she will run them off?

Any ide a who wanted to touch yoru back? Dd they get a special treat? Wonder fi they been watching Dennis and Bast and figru ok, so this is how ya get the good stuff, let th human food machine know yoru there. Just her back and otu comes food liek a vendign machine. : )

LOL, starlight,

Love the vending machine analogy. Just push a button and out comes a treat.

I know who it was that touched me, but that particular one never acquired a name. It was one of a matching set of the cutest little 'fellas' ever. I'm actually inclined to believe that those two adorable, little raccoons may be Dennis' youngsters from last year - because they are on the small side and stick together the way they do. They are just as cute as they can be. Up until now they haven't been inclined to interact with me, but last night they were back there behind my bench eating from Bast's spot after she left to go wandering around grumbling and complaining to everyone.

I did toss them cookies back there a number of times although I don't recall if I did so at that particular time; not sure if I still had cookies by then. Since Dennis was right there at my feet and just across the little side table from them, I thought perhaps they had gotten their sudden courage and willingness to come so close to me from watching her interact with me - and get treats. I was especially surprised when neither of them ran away when I turned around to look at them - which I did repeatedly just because I thought they were so darned cute back there huddled together eating and occasionally sneaking up to the big, hairless creature to touch it from behind.

How sweet that they have learned to interact with you to get more goodies, and maybe protection from rabble rousers and pushy eaters.

Ruth,

Two years ago about this same time of year, I saw the Cedar Waxwings for the 1st time when they suddenly swarmed in and filled the weeping willow under which I was sitting. There must have been 100 or more of them. There was not a single limb without one or more of these lovely birds on it. They were amazing to watch as many of them hung upside down like parrots to eat seeds from the tree which had recently 'bloomed'. And then just as suddenly as they had arrived, they left. After seeing them so many times in photos, it was wonderful to watch their antics in the tree above me even if only for a few short minutes.

When I looked them up, I found that they only travel through the area on their migratory path. How incredible that I would chance to see them on their brief travel through here - and now twice. I'm starting to think they may be following me. Perhaps they looked me up at the office to complain about my failure to refill the feeder after the raccoons emptied it. (Kidding. I've never seen any sign of them eating from the feeder on their brief stopover.) ;-)

I'm not concerned about Bast. I'm with you in that she seems quite capable of taking care of herself, and it never occurred to me that their might be anything wrong with her other than the misery of advanced pregnancy. Actually, she is humorous at time as she wanders about complaining endlessly to everyone who will listen. In her current condition she seems to delight in aggravating the youngsters perhaps taking her angst out on them. She can also be a bit annoying at times, and I tell her to knock it off when I tire of hearing her constant grumbling. Of course, she pays me no attention.

This would, however, appear to be Bast's 2nd litter. Although I never saw any kits with her last year and never realized that she was even pregnant, just before her sudden disappearance a photo I took of her standing at the birdbath revealed her nursing status. When Heidi started thinning the crowd that year, Bast was 1st to go. She must have been driven out before she had the chance to bring her kits to the buffet. I guess with such overcrowding Heidi saw no point to 'wasting' space and resources on kits who were not of her lineage.

starlight,

As to what will happen when the Heidi's kits arrive and how Bast will react, I think we will know soon. LOL. I don't think Bast will do anything to Heidi's kits. Bast walks around grumbling mostly at the youngsters. She knows better than to mess with Heidi. That was quite clear last night when Heidi stopped to eat with Bast (from Bast's dish) and Bast did not even try to object.

If Bast keeps this up, it is perhaps more likely that Heidi will send her packing as happened last summer.

LOL, June,

It is, except that suddenly it seems as though everyone has discovered 'me', the vending machine as starlight puts it. Now I'm a little too popular at times. But they are cute, all of them.

As you may recall, last summer I had no idea that Dennis was even pregnant, or a female for that matter, until she showed up with babies in tow; so today I got this brilliant idea to see if, given our special bond, she mind consent to let me reach under her tummy to check for signs of swollen mammaries and such. Not! Despite the language and species barriers she let me know quite succinctly that she would have none of that and our friendship does not extend to cover such actions.

I would pet her back and then try to run my hand just under the edge of her tummy - and she would turn her head - that annoying pointy end again - around to my hand in a manner that while I cannot clearly describe it now I had no difficulty at the time recognizing the body language as saying, "Look, I don't want to do it, but if you continue along these lines I'm going to be forced to bite you." I tried a few more times just to be sure. Dennis showed considerable restraint and patience, but the answer was always the same, "NO!"

Meant to add, however, that I do think something is going on down there, because Dennis is much more defensive about her sides and tummy than usual. I've stroked her sides before and even touched the area just barely under the edge of the tummy, the same area that provoked her to threaten to bite me tonight. Tonight, although she didn't get serious about it until I tried to touch the ends of my fingers under the edge of her tummy, she also seemed touchy about her sides which would seem to suggest maybe pregnancy (?), I guess.

raccoon abuse!!! started me to chuckling and now I can't stop. trying to take liberties with Dennis. OMG, yep I would bite you!!

=^..^=

ROTFLMAO!

Oh, Susan, that was just way to funny!