The Boys.

Wake up boys....it's spring and it's warm!

Bama is still keeping his distance. It's not going to be fun trying to round him up for release!

One of Laurie's boys acts all tough and huffy when I go in there, but he's always following me around like a lost puppy until I finally reach up and scratch his chin! I think he's just putting on a show for the other boys trying to keep up the tough guy image.

 

Cooper is always happy to come out and say Hi.

Cute photo op....take my pic mom!

Bama did finally decide to come out, but he's still not coming anywhere near me!

Chester, happy as usual and always up for a visit.

Boston, just like Chicken, isn't about to show us more than this view.

When mom's around, food is around! Chester knows this better than any of them and begins looking for all the hiding places.

And speaking of boys......I had a late night visit that TOTALLY made my day after being pretty bummed about a squirrel death early in the day. (Long story short, one of my locals, a slightly neurologic girl that I've been keeping my eye on, made a leap from quite high up. She missed the tree she was aiming for and hit the top edge of one of the coon pens. I scooped her up but she passed shortly thereafter.)

Anyway, after getting home from work last night, it was so nice out and the sound of the peepers and the ducks and geese squawking on the pond was so relaxing, I decided to poke around out there and put out some cans of food for any of the gang if they were around. While finishing up at the main platform out back I was finally rewarded with a pair of eyes coming in for a visit. I fully expected to see River's dark face but was totally thrilled to discover it was Gibby! (I had seen him out there a week or so ago, but it was extremely windy and he was too skittish for more than a quick acknowledgement before he ran off into the brush.)

At first he just got up onto the platform to investigate what I was doing, then wandered back onto the ground. Next thing I know he's pawing at my leg. When I bent down to scratch him, he proceeded to wrap his arms around my neck and insist I pick him up and hold him like the old days! Thanks for the hug little buddy, I needed it!

I'm so happy to say he looks healthy and handsome as ever!

Gibby gets fixed!

Despite the antibiotics, Gibby's wound just wasn't healing very well like they usually do. It was getting worse.  So on Tuesday, off we go to get it checked and cleaned up. Once he was down for the count....

 .....it was clipped, scrubbed and flushed like crazy to get all the gunk out.

 A much better looking wound!

By the time I got him home he was already up and about and....don't be shocked.....went right for his food! Priorities ya know! LOL

Thanks so much Dr. Rice and Maris for making him feel much better!

He's healing much faster now. He needed some hot packs for a couple days to keep it draining....luckily he's a very good patient....but it's all dried up now and he'll be good to go in no time I think.

Boys gone wild.

And they're off! Tash, Gibby, Andy, Ringo and LB are finally out in the real world! (sort of). The weather was good and it was just plain old time for them to go. They have been more than patient while waiting for Rivers babies to be old enough to be mobile so she would not be so freaked out by them hanging around should they decide to harass them like Vin did! So last Friday the 6th the world became their playground and they were loving it!

By the end of the night, Andy and Gibby had made their way out back by the main feeding station....

....much to Belle's dismay! LOL She was less than thrilled by the company! She was a good girl though and didn't whip their butts like she could have. Instead she settled for a little meal away from the interlopers.The next morning everyone but Gibby was back home. One in the hammock, LB on top of the cage, and the other 2 in the den box! So much for out in the wild! Gibby was the only brave one to spend the night away from home in a tree out back by the feeding station....but he didn't seem to mind....quite comfortable actually!

For the past week they have been out all night and back in the pen to sleep off the day. Gibby and Tash were the first to not return to the pen after a few nights, and as of a couple nights ago, Andy has not returned to spend the days. Yesterday it was LB and Ringo still using the den box but when I went out this morning it was only Ringo in there.

Then there is Gibby......

Tuesday night I went out to check on everybody and found Gibby in the den box...and he didn't look good. He was obviously very painful and not moving much at all. I managed to get him into a carrier and into the basement where Laurie and I could check him out better. There were no apparent injuries at first and his color was good. He was so pathetic though....enough to convince me to comfort him all night....sleeping in my arms on the loveseat in the basement. I'm glad it helped him to sleep, becasue I sure as hell didn't get much!

I was convinced I had been played big time by a con-coon, but I did eventually find some spots where someone apparently chewed on him a little. So it looks like he just got beat up and has a little infection going.

After a couple days of pain meds and some antibiotics, he's already feeling better....although he's still trying to milk it by getting me to hold him and baby him.......! Too busy though. Have a new litter of baby raccoons to get settled....

LB and the boys.

LB, Andy, Gibby and Ringo are doing great in their own private suite at the inn. LB is finished with his antibiotics and all is still well with him. Whew! No more problems over the course of the winter should indicate it is not going to be a chronic problem and he should be set to go with the rest of the gang.

We had a doozy of a blizzard just after Christmas where most of the gang....including myself, holed up in their den boxes for a couple days. After the wind finally died down it was back to business as usual for them.

Andy, Ringo, Gibby and LB....always eager to come out for dinner!

The rest of the gang in the big pen are great also, and with some of the boys separated the conflicts have ceased where Vin is concerned.

The girl that came in around mid November that was staying in Mary's pen until I had room....well she's still there! The cage wasn't vacant long after Vin and Tash moved out and since she's doing great and has settled in well over at Mary's, we'll just let her stay there. She's not ill and acting more like a raccoon should be, running and hiding when Mary checks on her. Come springtime we'll just open the door to the pen and she'll be free to go right from Mary's.....barring any other raccoon shuffling we may have to do!