We've got a few new vermin hanging around the family compound...racoons. I suspect they have been there for years, but this year's cherry crop has brought them out into full view.
I thought raccoons are supposed to be nocturnal animals. These raccoons come to hang out in the cherry tree around noon and can be found until 8 pm. They don't seem the least bit scared of us, coming within 5 - 10 feet of us playing in the yard when they walk over to the tree. This freaks me out, of course, knowing what disease-carrying filthy creatures they are. They do attack the kids' balls that are left in the yard overnight, so I know they can claw the life out of something. Thus, I stand guard with a plastic shovel or sand toy when they walk by. I'm sure I'm a menacing looking creature with my plastic warfare tools.
They do provide hours of entertainment. I keep thinking that they've finally walked onto a branch that will surely not hold their weight, but they have yet to fall off. Hopefully when the cherries are gone they will be too...or at least back to lurking in the bushes where I can't see them.
Racoons in your cherry trees, wow! It would be cool to watch them, but it would also make me nervous. When we lived in Illinois racoons would sometimes come on our deck at night. I liked being able to watch through the sliding glass doors.
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