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Currently, sunset occurs at about 2030, assuming it made an appearance in the first place, which yesterday it did not.
Wandering into the kitchen at 2015, I was struck by how light it still was, after such a dull day.
There was a curious almost neon-like quality to the light.
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The rain had stopped, so I threw peanuts onto the patio for night visitors.
A skunk that had been poking around far out in the field immediately lifted its nose and came racing for a snack.
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Right behind it came a bedraggled raccoon sporting a huge bald patch.
There was no evidence of a wound, so I don’t know how the raccoon came to lose such a large hunk of fur.
There was certainly nothing wrong with its appetite.
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The skunk held its tail erect but there was no animosity.
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Moments later another hungry raccoon picked up the scent of peanuts.
Now we had the makings of a party.
Glad to say, it was very peaceful.
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The sound of a raccoon fight is alarming, though they are only dangerous to humans if they are rabid.
Our local raccoon population was decimated by rabies not long after we came here.
One afternoon Mrs Plod the blind/deaf possum was attacked near the patio and without a second thought, I rushed out to defend her.
The raccoon ran off, but it hovered by the woods and Grant identified the behaviour which he’d seen around the farm where he grew up.
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It was a horribly sad episode, as Grant ended up having to shoot the raccoon kits we’d been so entertained by just weeks earlier.
Local wildlife authorities were not interested in examining the corpses and because it is impossible to dig a deep enough hole, we could not bury them. I was advised to double-bag them and put them in the trash.
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The callousness of the remark hit me like a smack in the face. Growing up, I’d been deemed “sentimental” about animals, as if it was some sort of mental defect. I don’t consider it to be, but in any event, it’s the way I am wired and I found it offensive to discard the corpses of beautiful animals, rabid or not, with human trash.
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Skunks are such exquisite little creatures.
Beneath all that fluff they are tiny.
They do not so much walk as undulate.
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Foxes too have a unique gait.
When they trot it’s as if their feet are on wheels. Their upper body appears to sail smoothly along while their feet peddle furiously.
Watching animals in the wild is something I shall never tire of.
Thank you, Carolyn, for your fascinating nature tales and the photos of the wild creatures you feed.
Joanna
Wow, what a gathering of animals in your garden. That’s amazing. We have foxes here as well did when we lived in the city, but out here in the Welsh countryside they really are magnificent, strong and bright coloured coats. I do hate those grey days though. Keep up the good work. 😊
You’re right. Watching wild animals is captivating. In the city too.
Yesterday, a blogger friend posted a beautiful video of a fox roaming near her.
Here’s the link, if you’re interested :
https://observerlavie.wordpress.com/2025/05/31/sabot-de-venus-et-renard-deux-merveilles-en-une-soiree/
Good to see them all getting along fine at the peanut feast. Sad about shooting the baby raccoons though. Our weather is changing now, rain and cloud for most of the coming week.
Best wishes, Pete.
Your love of all creatures shines through in your descriptions of your shared existence, and we get to share that love too.
You’re right Carolyn, it is a joy to watch wild animals in nature. I get the idea that the animals are sitting somewhere on the edge of your property watching you – when that first peanut lands on the patio, they’re there!