Monday, May 27, 2013

Our Resident Raccoon


We have a resident raccoon who takes care of all our food waste. It all started with JMM trying to outwit the raccoons. No matter what he did, the raccoons would get to the seed in the bird feeders. Gradually, JMM realized that he was not going to win.  Then we watched a mama with her 4 babies come to eat some cat chow I had scattered by the back flower bed. They were so cute and obviously the babies had been told to stay right with mama.  We both became so enamored with them that JMM built a feeder platform for them on a low branch in the live oak tree. Every evening, he takes any food scraps we have out for them and they are nearby waiting for him. He taps the tree twice to let them know that dinner is served.  I have a birdbath where I keep clean fresh water for them.  I know they wash there because there is almost always dirt in the water the next morning. It is so much fun to watch them play and climb the trees.  
Just today as I was sitting in the shade of the trees reading, a single rather grizzled raccoon came trundling up beside me on his way to climb the tree to wait for JMM to bring dinner. He looked over at me with his dark eyes and masked face but he was on a mission and wasn't to be deterred. Evidently not only does the early bird get the worm but also the early raccoon gets first dibs on dinner. 

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