I interrupt this regularly scheduled Weigh In Wednesday post for a special report. Monday night as I was sitting on the sofa watching the College World Series & reading I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I looked & saw a cat on the patio by the living room windows. Then it turned around & looked straight at me, dead into my eyes, straight into my soul & I saw that it wasn't a cat. It was this
Do you see that butt & striped tail??? It's a freakin RACCOON!!!! Notice it's daylight. So much for being nocturnal. After I got over the shock of him looking at me I started yelling that "OMG there's a raccoon on the patio". Dean looked at me & asked very calmly "where?". The yelling started again "RIGHT THERE!!!!". He decided he should stand up & look. I grabbed my phone so I could try to get a picture. By the time I got the camera on he'd made his way to my rock garden. He disappeared but we could see my Lantana moving. That's very freaky too. About that time a lizard came sprinting out of the Lantana. I've never seen a lizard move so fast. The raccoon came out the other side & I got a non blurry pic as he was going back in. This thing was in no hurry to go anywhere. He moseyed on over toward Logan's slide. I just knew he was going to get on it & pop it but thankfully he kept going & we haven't seen him since.
Yesterday morning my neighbor commented on the pic I put on FB that she'd seen it too & given her hubs strict instructions that it was to be gone by the time she got home. That gives him a week. She's on a mission trip in Nicarauga. Our neighbor came over yesterday & said that 2 weeks ago he saw this thing walking on the fence between our two houses. It's been around for 2 weeks???? Then he said a couple of times they were in their kitchen & spotted him on the patio. We have no idea how to get rid of him aside from getting a trap but I know that these little creatures are escape artists so who knows if that will do any good.
My friend Allison is terrified of these things & I always laughed & made fun of her. I always thought they were kinda cute. She said their people like hands completely freak her out. Well, after having one stare into my soul I totally get it. It was like he was telling me "I'm not cute, be afraid, be very afraid.".
Toodles!
Oh I hate those things. I had one come right up to me once & about lost my mind lol.
ReplyDeleteThose things are cute but scary! When we were camping we had one in the tree getting into our trash. He just stared at us like what are you looking at and went on eating the trash, cleaned himself up and went on his way. So funny.
ReplyDeleteThat is funny, Traci. Before we built the pool, there was a raccoon who would come to our back porch every dinner time. It must smell what I cook. He would just be staring through the glass and was not afraid at all. He looked so gentle that I was tempted to go out to pet him but I was afraid.We fe him every night, just left food out for him but he disappeared when the pool was dug out.....Christine
ReplyDeleteHeehee! Remember that commercial where the lady needed glasses and said "here kitty"?? When I lived in Baton Rouge..I actually did that! Looked out the window and saw a kitty walking straight up the sidewalk to my front door. I opened it up and said, "here kitty, kitty"...then I realized what it was and slammed the door! My husband still laughs about that. That darn coon would have walked right in!
ReplyDeleteOhmygosh. I would have died if I saw something staring in at me. GAhhhh! I hope he moves on to another house and leaves y'all alone!
ReplyDeleteI stumbled on your blog while searching for pics of Bamboo and then saw your post about the Raccoon! We had a similar incident a few years ago and I was very concerned seeing this thing during the day and thought maybe it was rabid so I called animal control. They told me that if it was otherwise acting normal "most likely" if was a mother who has babies hidden away and she is venturing out during the day to find food because she won't leave her babies at night!
ReplyDeleteWe were camping last week-end and I had set Sophie's food down by our chairs, but she was too busy to eat. This racoon came up the hill as if he knew exactly what he wanted, walked up to her plate, and ate her food right in front of us! Of coarse, Sophie thinks everything was made for the sole purpose of playing with her, so she goes toward it to play. Hubby grabbed her up quickly and said that it would hurt her because they are mean. This fellow knew exactly what he wanted, and he didn't care that we were right there beside the plate. When he finished eating, he turned and walked back down the hill toward the river. I know nothing about them, so you better be careful!
ReplyDeleteWell, I'd be freaking out, too. I've never seen one in person, but I have seen opossums. We used to see them all the time when we lived in Oregon. They would walk along our back fence & also get under our deck, & then proceed to growl at us from under the decking. Plus they stink! I don't think desert-life is too conducive to either species, plus they would probably fall prey to a coyote. Hope he doesn't come back!
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