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Tails in the Night

© Vickie Ferguson

It's Tuesday night around 1:30 am and I'm hearing all this racket outside. My neighbors dog is barking and running up an down the length of the fence and I hear what sounds like the trash cans rolling around the driveway.

This lasts a minute, then complete silence. About 10 minutes later the scenario plays out again only this time, I have my trusty red flashlight in hand. I went to the front door and peered out and saw nothing!

Back to the computer trying to do some catch up and the barking starts again. This time, I shine the light outside through the window to see what's amiss. There is no way I'm going to go outside!

Around 2:00 am, the rattling was louder and this time I was convinced someone was in my yard. Armed with my flashlight and some harsh words, I stepped out onto my front porch ready to wake up the whole neighborhood with my verbal assault.

Nothing. Zip. Nada. Just me and the two cats, Angel and Coco.

My neighbor cat, Butterscotch, sauntered into the yard and came to an immediate halt. Not a good sign.

On the alert for "something", I pointed my flashlight like it was some sort of assault weapon and prepared to do battle with whatever was lurking in the dark recesses of my yard.

I could hear "sounds" emanating from the giant oak to the right of my house but could see nothing. Not a twig twittered or a leaf flittered as me and the friends stood peering into the branches.

I was getting ready to head back inside when there was the sound of something interacting with the bark of the tree.

This time, I pointed the beam of the flashlight further up into the tree and there I saw the source of all the noise. Looking back at me from the v of the tree surrounded by giant pothos leaves, sat a baby raccoon. All I could see were giant eyes and two ears. Too cute! He just sat there looking at me as though he were as curious about me as I was about him.

I grabbed Butterscotch and put him in the house because he just goes after everything and I'm not sure he wouldn't have attempted to chase the baby, too!

I had some bread that I had been keeping for the wild birds but figured the baby would eat it. I threw several pieces so they landed at the base of the tree and just waited.

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