Orphans Update

Those two baby raccoons who first appeared in our back yard in April were indeed orphans, so I am the designated deliverer of daily rations.  But, no, they have not become pets (except in our emotions), and they retain a healthy fear of me.  They do often come scurrying when I announce that dinner is being served, only to stop short at the sight of me and hastily retreat, then turn again and head back toward the alluring food despite the terrifying giant lurking over it.  Finally when I have moved what they perceive as a safe distance away, they rush up and begin popping grapes into their mouths, grapes being their absolutely favorite edible. They don't even glance at the other foodstuffs until the grapes are all gone.  They also get a scoop of puppy chow each day and a selection of whatever other fruit might be on hand. Vegetables they aren't fond of.  Recently I've started giving them a little dish of full-fat yogurt with honey because they  don't seem to be growing all that much, and we thought perhaps they needed a nutritional boost.

They moved out of their lumber abode about a month ago and presently are living under our old car.  Yes, a non-running old car – how white trash is that? – but, really, we are going to donate it to our PBS station, although, now, of course, we have to wait until the babies are no longer living there. You ought to see how cute it is when a little head pokes out from under the wheel well and then a tiny body shimmies down the tire.  They come out only after dusk now, so these are probably my last photos of them.  We hope they'll eventually join the raccoon society of the neighborhood, although we may have set their culinary standards a bit high.