Time to go to bed Miss Daisy. (my spoiled 3 1/2 yr old Scotty Mix dog)
I must say that using the bath room is second when it comes to going out after dark. It was about 10:45 PM and I let Miss Daisy out. Then the barking and running around began. I rushed back out and heard a little noise. I looked at the fence between the patio and the car
port and there was a young coon- Scared to death. It just sat there. I grabbed Miss Daisy and told her to forget about using the rest room just now. I took her in and rushed to get my camera. The poor little thing just sat there all bum fuddled. Then I heard it make a little noise. It was as if you open your mouth a bit and blow out air to make your tough go up and down on the roof of your mouth. That -with a
tiny sound like a cat purr. I realized this little one was calling his Mother. He tried to climb up the side of that wall, but it has siding on it and it was to slick for little fingers. I took three last
pictures then came inside. I let Miss Daisy observe out the window from the kitchen table. ? (oh yes I did- she lives to see them at night- usually in the tall tree) She saw it all. Now with the door
closed the little one tried to call his Mom again. As I watched she came down from the tree and got on the roof. ( a lower slanted roof) Mama peeped over the edge of the roof as if to say- Come on you can make it. He tried so hard, but in his scared state it was just to
much to ask of the little fellow. So Mama stayed on the roof and reached over and gave the little one a pull up to the roof and safety. I tried to take the picture of the GREAT RESCUE but the
reflection of the screen ruined the picture. I can see it all though in my minds eye. Mama reaching down to help this very scared little raccoon . He did manage to get up far enough for Mama to grab his little hand. I think this must be a child of the young Mother that I took pictures of on May 24th 2007. I would
have loved to have gotten that LAST picture, but his safety was more
important to me. I did see it. When I took Mama's picture in May, she knew she had to eat and drink and bathe- (as it has not rained in weeks) so she trusted me enough to watch her for a good while. We
just left each other alone- minus a few pictures. This was different. This was a very scared child- calling Mother. She pulled him to the roof and they were gone. After a few minutes I went back outside and put down a little more cat food and dog food in the front..
Its probably not good to do- but its better than having the man cross the street killing them. He bragged about the big raccoon he had poisoned last year. Seems it killed his Koy fish in his pond.
From that day on I have been leaving out food. Possums also come. I have not seen them lately, but I know they come.
The wooden fence is very dirty. It was painted this spring. I
guess with all the Coon traffic it may need to do be done again.
There were also coons that came a few years ago - till a stray dog came and had puppies who took over the back yard. The dogs are now big and for their safety - stay in at night.
So all is well. The three cats that live in front do not bother the raccoons and the coons don't bother the cats.
My Mother taught me that a cat that looks like my McGregor was called a Maine Coon cat. The elder cat has tail markings like the Coon. ( I suppose that's how it got the name) Perhaps that's why they seem to get along.
So for now...... at this little moment in time............all the animals are safe.
That's the end of this little tail. I might add that I do not know the
youngster was a boy. Could have been a girl but what ever it is..its safe for now.
July 13-14 2007
Gloria Jean Childers Mobile, Alabama