First, let's set aside the fact that I followed no "Rules of Good Photography" in taking and posting this picture! I won't even delve into my excuses! However, there's a funny story to share...
The raccoons (singly or in groups) visit our yard nightly, and I enjoy them immensely! Last night, as I went to the computer after dinner, I looked up at 9:30 and realized I hadn't set any food out for them. Thinking they may have been discouraged and moved on, at the back door, there on the mat, curled up and waiting, was the furball! Ken and I were laughing hysterically..."You have a pet raccoon!" I fed him and watched him awhile, drifting between my project and looking to see if he'd left. I found him wading in the water along the dam at about the time a duck flew in. The duck probably wished to get to his pan of food, but was not at all agitated...it was just difficult to get the two of them in near proximity, and I finally sighed, "This will do!"
This is the last photo I took, but Ken was up around 2 AM and said the raccoon was lying on the doormat again! By morning he was gone... He'll return, of course, but perhaps tomorrow I'll post a picture of a flower!
I love this of course and your funny story! Only you could have a pet raccoon! He knows where he is well off getting fed every night and a cosy place to sleep! Do we have a name for him yet? Will he end up curled on Ken’s lap like Tigger? The story continues! 🤣
@koalagardens haha...not just exactly! The "dam" is the blue tiled area behind the raccoon, and it actually is considered a dam between the pool and the spa! Animals love it because water flows across the low spots for a drink or a safe splash!
@pamknowler ...and as I write, he's here again! I set the food out, but when I checked, it was gone, and a possum was on the doormat! Tigger was sitting there watching him, and he turned to run when he saw me...ran right into Tigger who smacked him a couple of times! I was guessing the raccoon *probably* had eaten the food...or most of it, so left and returned 15 minutes later to find "new pet" looking in the back window again! I've been calling him/her Furball...I suppose that works. Can't say why, but I'm thinking this is a female...at least it has some distinctive markings!
@Weezilou I had a quiet chuckle to myself when I saw your caption Louise, I had more than a faint suspicion you had me and probably @pamknowler in mind. After all, knowledge of Push-me-Pullyous is not too common these days.
@ludwigsdiana I was just about to send Pam @pamknowler a note that at this moment, 11 PM the scene is identical to last night... duck has arrived and raccoon's lying in the same spot. Took photos but promise not to keep posting them...not as spectacular as a giraffe! Thanks for sharing the fun!
@koalagardens ok...haha... now I m confused... The duck is in the pool, and the last time I looked out tonight, the raccoon was standing on the dam with his paws in the spa... He's now asleep by the side of the pool! I suppose this is about on par with a koala in this neck of the woods!
I always say get the picture you can first and then work on getting a better one if you can. You got the picture. Memories in pictures are fun and don't require perfection.
@joansmor ahhh...God Bless You, Joan! Beautiful philosophy, and as a better "journalist" than "photographer", I was so happy to share the story! You're a gem! Thanks for that!
@domenicododaro reread your message...I thought you'd said "wild bear" and I thought..."maybe not such a good idea"... reread and saw you'd said "wild boar!!" ...I saw the meat markets in San Gion...can't recall the spelling without looking it up...to my mind, best use for a wild boar!
oh my husband has pet raccoons ....they will even at time scratch at the sliding door for peanuts. Our neighbors are not amused since they visit their trash cans ...
@lesip ...and therein lies the answer to living comfortably with raccoons! Like all of us, they get hungry... Feed them, and they've never disturbed a flower pot or trash on our grounds. Without kindness, they become Fregans and go dumpster diving!! Thanks for sharing!
@brillomick Love it! So many complain that the squirrels rob the bird feeders... I contend that if you feed them all, your only one bear short of a zoo!
@Weezilou I'm catching up maybe - we do of course have large dams like he is standing on, but I always think of dams as waterholes on properties as we call them dams too. so I was very silly at the start of all this and thought you were calling your pond a dam, but you were calling your dam a dam and rightly so and I'm laughing to bits now!
@koalagardens OK That's *really* funny! As Ken likes to say, we Americans, Brits and Aussies "are separated by a common language!" (I simply couldn't understand what the confusion was about, but don't you love this -once again- learning moment on 365?!!!
@danette ...heehee...that's the way I roll around here! (8:30 PM and as Ken and I were having dinner, the cat's outside meowing...looked out the window and the two were sitting nearly side by side......so, "Where's Dinner?!" No point in taking more photos...they'd be identical every night now!
Flowers are also O.K. (with me.)
Darling photo and heartwarming story.