Scarlett: If this post keeps up this momentum, I think it has the potential to become the higest posted (for numbers of posts- not that numbers count, but this one is so much fun and it is interesting to hear what people have in their neck of the woods). The "wine-os only" post has twice as many but it is over a year old now. You have started something big that people are really hooking into here.

emd, I am touched that so many people are enjoying this and I too am loving hearing everyones great stories!
((F))

This morning as I was sitting on the patio having my coffee, there was a slight scuffle sound from a tree and instead of squirrels I expected, two raccoons were staring down at me! I'm always surprised by how large they are.

This year we also have an albino gosling. My poor old golden retriever's eyes are failing and everytime he sees this gosling, he barks like crazy!

The first raccoon that visited our patio was the size of a bear cub--I was amazed at how big he was. He must have been a good 45 pounds.

The oldest of our Canada Geese goslings are getting their flight feathers; so it won't be long before we get to watch the flying lessons, which are always very funny as the goslings wobble around in the air.

The one orphan gosling still around seems to be getting along fairly well, and the 6 wood duck babies are thriving.

Wood duck babies....lucky you!!! I can't understand why we have so many wood ducks in our little lake but have never seen their babies!

Topping this for Rosemary who doesn't give a rats *** (which is still about the critters in her backyard I guess LOL

Oh, Scarlett--you bad! :o

Scarlett, I was just going to post a tidbit about the darling raccoon we saw in Savannah a few weeks ago, just so this thing would TOP!:-d We were walking though this wooded area, with a creek running through. All of a sudden, this adorable little fellow marches down the middle of the creek. Seemed to very calmly march past us.......... then dashed like the devil away from our camera! I LOVE raccoons!:-)

elle.((L)) :D

Bonnie, bless your heart ~ We had a family of racoons in a country house we summered in..My best memory-coming out of the house one evening, and seeing three baby racoon faces in a row, looking down from one of the branches in the big tree in the yard..they really are cute.
Did anyone realize that squirrels in Florida are much smaller and skinnier than NY squirrels ? I guess they just don't need the body fat and thick fur that those lil ole Yankee squirrels need:)

Bonnie....I love them too! Our toddler grandsons give mad chase everytime they appear and we have to restrain them (the grandsons, that is!).

Just curious, how big was your Savannah raccoon?

We have lots of raccoons in our urban neighbourhood; they're a bit pesty because they overturn garbage cans and make a big mess from time to time, but I have to confess I think they're awfully cute. One big fat one comes up on our back deck from time to time to chat with one of our cats - both cats always stay indoors so there's no danger there. Worf Cat likes to talk to the raccoon - (oh, you're all going to think I'm crazy but this is really true - I have witnesses!)I just call him and say "Worf, your friend is here!" and he goes to the back door and exchanges amenities through the glass. One day a raccoon showed up and I called Worf, but he took one look and bolted. Apparently it was the wrong raccoon. Shows you how much I know!

Nothing like a pleasant thread!!

Meetshare your cat story was so funny! Baby raccoons are adorable, but the big guys who come out in the day and aren't in the least bit afraid of me...scare me to death. We encountered one on the bike path in Hilton Head in broad daylight. He didn't care in the least that we were approaching, so we turned back! lol He gets no arguments from me--I'll always yield the right of way. We've seen them on our grounds as big as Cocker Spaniels...never have seen a bear cub-sized one though.

Have you ever heard raccoons fight? They can bark...like little dogs!

Scarlett we were just commenting on the FL squirrels the other day. I think they must be a different breed too. They have such skinny tails and white stomachs...I don't recall New England squirrels or TX squirrels with white stomachs and their tails certainly weren't this thin. Mew England squirrels would laugh at FL squirrels--ratty hair-dos! :D

Scarlett...I never really thought about Yankee squirrels until I read your message! But now that you mention it, ours in the west (cowboy version?) do seem smaller than the ones I remember from Virginia. I think they keep the weight off by partying every single night on our roof! They certainly sound like they're dancing up a storm!

Tennischick, It might be just that the squirrels along with other Floridians, like to keep slim and healthy LOL

Tennischick, I would call the Savannah raccoon a relatively small one. I rarely see raccoons around my house/neighborhood so it's always a kick for me when I do!

We're in the Portland OR 'burbs near a greenway, so it's not unusual to see raccoon, blue heron, squirrels, and the occasional fox. And though I've not seen one, I've been awoken by the smell of skunk a couple times lately.

With plant types, feeders, and baths my wife has made our back yard a haven for birds too. We particularly like the morning doves, brightly colored finches, and hummingbirds. We've normally observed the hummingbirds to be fairly nervous. So I was quite surprised the other day when one flew to within arms length and hovered, looking me straight in the eye, for maybe 10 seconds. Wondered if it was trying to tell me something... very cool, though.

Oh beachbum, I wish that would happen to me! Thanks for the story :)

Hopefully, that hummingbird won't mistake you for a flower and dive into your eye for nectar!

Sadly, my Mom reports the parrot tree in Hyde Park in Chicago, split apart and fell over during a recent storm. The birds nests have grown into large, multi-story condos in that tree over the years. What's a bird to do? Perhaps they will fly on to your neck of the woods, next, so keep your eyes out for them.

that reminds me of a town along the Hudson River in NJ, Edgewater. They had a bunch of parrots released a long time ago from cages and the poor things stayed in town, building these huge and wonderful nests in the town trees.
Now-years later, the descendants of those parrots still live there and make quite a noise, squawking and flying over anyone who sits on a bench in the park.
It is fun to see though, bright green parrots flying around ~

Kal-
Still love that sense of humor!

Scarlett and OO-
Your opossum stories reminded me of when I was almost 9months pregnant with baby #1. DH and my parents all had to go out of town for a few days so my sister and I camped out at the parents' house with all of our dogs and cats. We let her Airedale and my Wheaten out for one last time at midnight. We heard this awful commotion in my dad's greenhouse and before we knew it the Airedale ran past us into the house with an opossum in her mouth. My sister and I were too afraid to try to get it out of the house so we walked to a neighbors house (the closest was two blocks away) in our jammies (imagine a woman about to give birth walking the streets bearfoot, in a tee shirt, undies and THAT'S it!) That's absolutely among my top three embarrassing moments of all time.

Scarlett,

I have a cousin who lives in Statesboro, GA and he catches, fries and eats an opossum once a year. I don't know the significance of it being an annual event, but doesn't every Southern family own at least one of those cousins?!