Word Spreads

Yesterday afternoon, I walked into the back yard only to interrupt a trio of raccoons (this would be mom and the two little ones, and not the one who was here a day or so ago, who I think is maybe Mom's brother) poking around under the two farthest away plum trees.  Late lunch at the Plumtree Restaurant.  I stopped and watched for a few moments, wondering why they never got to the other two plum trees, not to mention the apple trees.  Plenty of fruit between both of these: maybe they don't have a great sense of smell?  Or maybe already enough food under the plum trees they were stalking.

Of course, they saw me immediately (great hearing), but they were a safe distance away, so just gave me a glance and went on about their business.  A few plums more, however, plus a race by the littlest one up and down the plum trunk, and they started to move diagonally away from me.  Then, the baby discovered the pecan tree to which the clothes line and the clothespin bag is attached.  Up he goes, poking his tiny paw out, trying to get hold of the bag.  Mom chitters at him while I run inside the house to get my camera.  By the time I get back, Mom has convinced Little Baby to get right down from there.  And she is giving me a very irritated look as I snap away with a flash attachment even though I'm a long ways away. (You can see all three in the photo: mom is on the right, looking at me, little baby is just getting down from the trunk, and bigger baby is over to the left right under the blueberry bush.  The clothespins are safe!)

Next they wander over to the blueberry bushes while Bigger Baby plays 'fight' with Mom, who brushes him off repeatedly.  Then Bigger Baby grabs for a blueberry branch and starts to try those berries, while I roar like a lion at him.  Apples? Yes. Plums, yes.  Blueberries, no.  They all freeze, and then walk, with great dignity, ten feet further away, abandoning the berries.

An hour later, they are still roaming around in the back of the yard, but there's no fruit back there, so I guess they've found something else for afternoon entertainment.