Musical pens again!

 Last weekend was spent moving everyone around again to try to free up some space. The 17 in the big pen were moved out back into the downtown pen further into the woods. Then the Brighton 4, Lil' Rascals, Mason, Cinder and Bossy were moved into the pen vacated by that group and the door separating the sections was opened and Fluff, Millie, Scritch and Champ joined them! Whew.... a lot of moving around.... and vaccines were given too! Now they are consolidated into 2 big groups of crazy coonies! 

Not too soon I might add for this lucky one! No sooner do I manage to get a cage emptied and cleaned and I have to fill it again! This juvie was rescued by Karen, the Watertown ACO. He had taken refuge on a second story balcony and was not using one of his rear legs. So far it's being very uncooperative.....but the leg is not swollen, I can not see a wound and it is starting to bear weight on it so I am guessing a safe place to rest for a while will make all the difference in the world! Laurie and I will take a better look over the weekend. After a couple weeks quarantine, it may be possible to integrate it into the older downtown group. A perfect fit with the bigger, wilder, ARL 5 as I am not sure bringing it right back to where it was found would be feasible. Some of the older, bigger kids will be going sooner than the rest this year.....sometime soon...in August!

The skunks are released. It was a combination of raccoon aided escape, and release! Although it was sooner than I planned, they are doing well. As they should be, since they apparently evicted my ground hog and have made themselves quite comfortable in his burrows...at least the ones near my house of course! Talk about moving up in the world, they've scored the Ritz out there! I'll get those pics up for you soon. Now I have to be a little extra careful when letting the dogs out at night. Boy are they lucky I am all about coexistence with the natives! LOL

Thanks to all our supporters!

Good fun, good food, great friends..... and another successful fundraiser at Flatbread Company. Thank you all so much for dropping by to say Hi and support us! We couldn't do it without you! It was a lot of fun, and thank you Stephanie and Flatbread Company once again for everything. Oh, and special thanks to the waitress that carded me.....you made my night! LOL

Our wonderful new banner, hand painted by Mary and her sister Eve....Amazing!

Our talented artists!

Our many wonderful friends and family........

And finally! A picture of all of us...together! Left to Right, JoAnn, Me, Laurie, Sue, Lisa and Mary.

Trouble in the woods.

Fluff, Millie, Champ and Scritch have been moved outside and are loving it! They are adjacent to the big group that includes the Fast Five and eventually the barrier separating them will be removed and watch out!

I found yet another sick raccoon out in the woods. I didn't mention it here, but last month I had to euthanize an adult I found out there, once again not getting it tested as there was no exposure. Well, Tuesday night while doing my rounds I came across a baby curled up in one of the feeders. About 4 mos. old, I figured it was a little one that must have gotten separated from mom and curled up where it was safe. I was hoping to just wake it and scare it up the tree to hang out and wait for it's mom, who I was sure would be back this way anytime soon! On closer inspection though, I realized something was wrong with the little guy. I captured him and held him in a carrier until Laurie was able to come over and help me check him out. He was definitely ill and had bite wounds on him. We euthanized the poor thing and this time had him tested, as he nicked me in the process of the initial capture. Sure enough, positive for rabies. So I have grave concerns for my extended family out there obviously. The only upside to it being rabies and not distemper or parvo....it is such a fragile virus there has to be a bite....contact between the animals, as opposed to the distemper and parvo virus remaining behind in the environment after the animal has left, still able to infect an unsuspecting passerby. Other than that...there is nothing good about this whatsoever and I'm beside myself with worry!!!!

New digs for the stinkers.

All 8 skunks have been moved into a new, larger pen together. What a chore this whole bloody process was! First, I spent a day of hell putting the damn thing up in oppressive, mosquito infested, humidity. Once it was ready, I went to move the original 4 that were already outside into it.

Second, when I went to get them, the pen was empty!! Turns out one of the sides on the pen popped off (or was pulled off by a determined raccoon trying to get in at the food, as I have discovered them to be doing to the new pen.....yes, I caught them in the act the other night!) and the little stinkers found their way out. I was beside myself, because of course they are not big enough to go! Finding them out there now....literally like finding a needle in a haystack! I went and got the new 4 and put them in the new pen.

Third, a miracle! I found the needle!! Don't ask me how I saw it, but a little movement inside a feral cat shelter I had out there...buried deep in the underbrush I might add, caught my eye as I was freaking out on the phone to Laurie describing my ordeal! A little skunk head taking a peek! I force my way into the thick brush and quickly grab the shelter and tip it up so they couldn't climb out the entrance, then stumble my way out. A quick peek inside reveals all 4 escape artists! Whew!

Fourth, while bringing them back over to the new pen, doesn't one actually manage to climb up and take a leap out of the entrance! I of course manage to grab the little bugger mid air by the scruff, really pissing him off, and get sprayed in the process of dragging him back into the box.

Fifth, I put them in the pen with the new gang. I put the shelter back into the brush and when I come to check on the skunks, I see another one outside the pen. I'm thinking, did I miscount? Is that a wild baby that was hanging around? Then, as my muddled, overheated brain was trying to focus on and solve this puzzle, magic! One of the little guys inside the pen just walks through a wall and, Abra cadabra....it's outside with the other one! Crap...the holes are too big! (which I made smaller, by the way, securing extra wire around the whole outside!) 

For the love of God!!!

Sixth, I'm running around like a mad woman....putting skunks back inside the pen and grabbing whatever I have to secure the pen. It was like rebuilding it all over again...in the oppressive heat, being eaten alive by mosquitoes....even with mosquito clothes on I might add.....pissed off and miserable as hell by this point! By the time I finished, I couldn't have cared less if they all escaped that night! LOL

Well I'm happy to report, it's been 3 nights and a morning head count has revealed no escapes! This despite the damn raccoons trying to dig their way into the pen to get at the food! There is chain link on the bottom of the pen that prevents the coonies from getting in, but with big gaping holes being dug in the dirt under it, it is making a possible escape route for the stinkers to squeeze out those larger holes! I put boards under the edges to prevent digging, then large rocks...but coonies are powerful of course. When I went out there last night I caught them in the act! Kits running everywhere and mom's running up the nearby trees...LOL. Of course when I start chastising the group of them, doesn't Belle just come running over like "Oh hey Mom....wha'cha bringing us?" Yup...my own kids, guilty as sin!

Sigh....looks like I will once again be catering to the crew....putting some food out there for them to keep them from going for the skunks food in the pen. I can't not feed the stinkers at night....they are nocturnal after all and have to learn to scrounge up dinner at night.....

OK, so forgive my rambling! All 8 skunks are getting along just fine and loving it out there. Despite being the almighty food bringer....they are quite skittish of me and run into their den when I approach(not a bad thing at all...I want them afraid of people!) so getting good pics of them is difficult. Maybe if I didn't sound like a mack truck driving over a bed of nice crispy potato chips when I went out there........ ;)

Growing like weeds.

Here we have it! The long awaited photos of the 29 babies that are in the outside pens! The danger of digital cameras.....more pictures than anyone could possibly know what to do with! The good side.....more cuteness to share than anyone could possibly know what to do with! :)

I think the pictures speak for themselves in describing just how  much fun they are having and how much they love it outside!

In this pen we have the Dighton 4, the 5 Little Rascals, Mason, Cinder & Bossy.

 Cinder had floppy puppy dog ears for the longest time...they have now finally straightened up like a normal coonies should. I was kind of hoping they would stay that way....it was very cute!

In the big pen we have the older ARL 5, the Fast 5, Gimpy, Fitchy, Chanel No. 5 and the 4 fosters that came from another rehabber. All are getting along great and totally loving it out there! Even the very un-handleable and skittish ARL 5 and Chanel No 5 are loosening up and will approach me for treats and to try to play.....as long as I do not try to touch them...that is not allowed! But they can try to touch me all they want when they are so inclined!

 Chanel No 5 is big and beautiful! Actually the larges of them, and totally obsessed with the water. I'm thinking he's still trying to rid himself of the weekend in the sewer experience and now he is OCD with being clean!

 Chanel No 5 gives me permission to let him nibble my finger! No worries, he's actually quite gentle about it, and just look at that handsome face!

All of the skunks are doing great. Pretty soon the new 4 will be getting moved outside as well. I now have a bigger pen put up for the skunks, so when the time is right I'll move all 8 into the pen as one group since they are about the same size.

It is the 4th of July today....Happy 4th to everyone! I have the holiday off with my new job so as I sit here typing this I am able to relax for a few minutes and watch all the happy critters outside my kitchen window! There are about 10 grey squirrels and 5 red's enjoying breakfast with me and I am thoroughly enjoying their antics out there. I have to say, despite the red's constant vocal objections to sharing the feeders with any living thing, there have only been some minor squabbles and I'm happy to see they are sharing and coexisting quite well! It's a lesson I wish we could all learn from.....