September 19, 2007
MrPages writes:
A few nights ago Page1 was finishing up evening chores by putting bag of garbage outside at about 9pm. She came running back into the house yelling that there was something in the backyard. She thought it was a raccoon, but maybe it was just a big cat, but it was on the fence and it was HUGE!
It turns out that it was indeed a raccoon. We have seen them in our neighbourhood before, but never this early in the evening. He was perched on the back fence, eating whole peanuts out of our neighbour’s squirrel feeder. I ran to get the camera, and slowly made my way into the back yard.
The raccoon was obviously intent on getting as many peanuts as he could before he left, so he didn’t seem afraid of me at all. He glanced at me occasionally as I approached, but kept digging out peanuts and eating them until I was within about 10 feet.
He then turned and ambled along the fence, spotlit by MrsPages holding a big battery lantern, to the far corner of the yard. He jumped up into a tree and sat there looking at us, obviously just waiting for us to leave so he could resume his snack.
We’re always amazed at how much wildlife exists in our backyard. We’re only a mile or so from farmland, but we are still smack in the middle of suburbia.
A couple of years back, other neighbours had a raccoon removed from its nest in their chimney and it was a hissing, spitting ball of mean. I have no doubt that this little guy could be like that if he really tried, but our encounter this night was pleasant and ended well.
Of course, I didn’t try to get between him and his peanuts…
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