A Five-Raccoon Day

This afternoon, I look out into the yard and I see one raccoon at the base of a plum tree and a second raccoon racing up the trunk.  But these two raccoons are pretty big: like medium-sized raccoons.  And then I see there was already one up in the plum tree so now there are three raccoons.  I race to get my camera which does not have image stabilization but I am going to have to get a new one if I get a new life that features regular raccoon visits.

So, I'm outside now with the camera and the down on the ground raccoon moves across the yard and away from me and goes up the trunk of the pecan tree.  And one of the raccoons in the plum tree comes down and goes up the pecan tree trunk, making a brief stop to whack the clothespin bag on this way up.  And then the one on the ground stands up and takes a good, long look at me and I wonder what are the chances he is going to come at me?

He doesn't.  Just stands up, paws off the ground, and stares while I move over to the plum tree where the other raccoon is eating plums.  But when I get there, I see one raccoon and an extra tail;  then I see two raccoons and still an extra tail.  So now there are three raccoons in the plum tree and two raccoons in/around the pecan tree.  I am awash in raccoons, all of them staring at me as if I might be up to no good.  I take a dozen photos, almost all of which don't turn out to be much.

After awhile, the three in the plum tree come down and join the two at the pecan tree and for awhile they are all in the pecan tree, which has no pecans, of course. And then one of the them comes down from the pecan tree backwards (so much for Wikipedia).  And the rest come down forwards.  And they line up and go climb over the fence in the back of the yard, setting out to entertain my neighbors, I guess.

All five are medium-sized raccoons.  I've never seen five together before up here: always before, it has been either a mom with kids or a single guy, like Uncle Charlie who has no tail. A band of guys?  A team of some sort?  Or just plum eaters?