TRANSITIONS: NEW BEGINNINGS

Part 6:  As you know we feed nocturnal critters.  We leave dry cat food out for them each night.  In late May, there was a raccoon that was coming out to eat as early as 6:00PM!  What? It is not dark!  I would go out and put some food in a dish. The raccoon would stay back and watch me.  I would not say a word, just make slow movements and fill a bowl with food.  The little critter would eat then take off.

This worried me. This is a good way to get killed in this part of the world.  A few times a week this would go on. I began getting food out there by 5:00PM.  One day, the raccoon was looking in the kitchen door!  It was 3:30PM!  WHAT!? Thankfully the dogs did not see it or their bodies and faces would be plastered up against the door barking.  What is going on?

This little raccoon was not the one I was seeing before.  This one is younger and smaller.  I put food out as the raccoon watched from a safe distance.  It ate the food, stretched out underneath my vehicle, like a cat would.  I thought, now I have a pet raccoon? No way.

Now I knew I needed to keep cat food available to them all day. Each morning the cat food went out.  Each afternoon here comes that little raccoon.  Then one day, I noticed something, she was pregnant!!  Now that explains the daylight raids for food.  She was getting ready to have babies.  But where? She must be close by.  Yep, she was. She made her little nest in our partially covered carport, where my husband stores, building wood and large machinery. 

Now I am hooked. A new mom. She is young. I am thinking this is her first batch of kids. We made sure every morning she got fresh water, fresh food and if I had any fruit or veggie to share, she would get some.  We did the same thing at night as well.

One morning or actually nearly noon, she was coming back from the woods and heading for her nest.  I did not see her.  I was busy with my head down cleaning a duck tub to refill it.  Ever have one of those moments when you respond like someone tapped you on the head? I did. I looked up. I saw her off her beaten path eying chicken and duck.  I yell, “No little momma.”  She looks at me then looks at them.  I yell again, “No little momma, they are my babies. You go see your babies and leave my babies alone.” She looked at me, and then at the chicken and duck, they were frozen in position. She moved back to the beaten path and went back to her babies.   So close to having a chicken and maybe duck dinner.  I immediately herd my group closer to the coop.

Sometimes I would see her peak her head out the carport. She sniffed the air, “yep that crazy human is still out there.”  She would come out late in the afternoon and eat from the bird feeder and the other bowls of food. I think she needed a break from the babies. She was looking pretty haggard and worn.

I am still waiting for the debut of new life!  I want so badly to see the little raccoons, but I dare not enter her nest area, if I wish to keep my face intact.  Sometimes when I put fresh water out for her along with food, we would be about 4 feet from each other.  She was cautious and I just said, “hi little momma, just bringing food and drink.” I never made quick moves.

I think she and the kids must be sleeping through the day now.  I do not see her at all during the day.  I still have not seen her out with the kids yet, but hoping.  When I do get to see them, I am hoping to get some pictures to share with you. 

This is the only picture I have of her. She is next to the vehicle eating.

 Just ran into momma raccoon. We startled  each other. She went into defensive mode and I stood still. She ran back into the carport. She is out eating. She had her babies.  She does not look pregnant now. The kids won't be making an appearance for a time now. I will let you know when they make their debut.