*SIGH*- Vin has company.

I jinxed myself! The injured beach boy I talked about at the release site is back! I had spread Phillip's ashes out there with the gang so he could be free with them....silly I know but I hoped he would keep an eye on them with a little divine assistance maybe? No such luck...LOL. (or maybe just the luck Tash needed it would turn out!)

I set up the coon cam out there and there is plenty of activity. The gang is still hanging out together and until now Tashmoo was keeping up despite the fact that he is obviously still not using his back leg. If it was as simple as the bite wound he should not be limping around like this anymore!

He was injured over 3 weeks ago and at the very least should be bearing weight a little! Luckily with the camera I am able to see he is still getting along great, eating well and in good body condition. He's there with the gang every night so that's good. There is no way we'd be able to trap him with all those guys running around out there! Concerned but not terribly worried.....hes adapting and doing well.

Then Laurie checks the site Friday. He scared the crap out of her when she opened the den box and he's in there huffing away at her! (LOL...see I'm not the only one getting the crap scared outta me!)

Soooooo.....I head over after work and as I expected it was Tash. He still loves mom luckily so I was able to get him into a carrier and bring him home.

Vin was so excited when I arrived......until he realized I brought company and not a treat that is! LOL

They are both familiar with each other so they are able to be together. Vin was perfectly fine coming right down to say Hi....Tash a little less welcoming but tolerant just the same. They won't exactly be cuddling in the same den box together, but have no problem hanging out in the same pen together.

Tash was very happy to be safe and comfortable back home and definitely in need of some help from mom.

Until we are able to get an x-ray and a good look, I can't even begin to speculate, but the leg is very swollen and painful to the touch and although he can move it somewhat, he's not using it at all. He did manage to get into the hammock and make himself comfortable though!

Right now he's eating well and BAR (bright, alert, responsive) which is a very good sign. Whatever is wrong it's not making him sick at this point, just impairing his ability to function properly like climbing and escaping danger! A sitting duck on borrowed time if left out there on his own.

May, Amy and Moose are doing great....the 3 little pigs are eating all their food and growing like weeds.

As for the rest of the gang at the release site.....one is a little gimpy out there but not to the extent of Tashmoo. The gang is still hanging out together and doing well. Here is my sweetie Michelle (far left) looking great! She's the easiest to tell with that little snub nose of hers! Reminds me of my Dandy girl!

And they're off.......Michelle's group gets released.

Sunday night Laurie and I released the last of the gang going out this fall. We were a little more attached to this crew so it was a little bit tougher saying goodbye! We brought Vin back over too. He healed well and was ready to go. We figured it would not be difficult bringing him back into the pen since none of them had an issue with each other the day we found him in there.....and we were right! He immediately had friends coming over to say Hi and play! Laurie became a human tree when some treats were brought out to make everyone come over so we could check them before releasing them.....it's blurry but great! They were moving so fast I'm lucky I got it at all!

Two of the beach boys had some issues....one had a scraped nose and one had an abscess right between his eyes! What the heck! While mulling the situation over in my mind, he ended up popping it in the mad rush for treats and was very diligent using his paws to clean it. So issue resolved.....abscesses are very common in them in the wild and most usually resolve themselves unless they are as extensive as Vin's were. This is already draining now and he can easily reach it to keep it clean and draining so he should be fine. We'll keep an eye on him also.

So decision made, a final goodbye to the gang....especially my sweetheart Michelle.....
(sniff, sniff!)

....and out the door they go!

The abscess was already looking better.....and he's still doing a great job keeping it clean! He certainly isn't acting like it bothers him!

A den box was put on top of the pen after we put the gang in there in case another of Vin's gang made their way back injured....this way they would still have a safe place to hole up since they wouldn't be able to get into the pen for a while. This crew wasted no time investigating it.

The rest of the time we were there they spent running around like maniacs and obsessing over acorns! This crew didn't just melt off into the woods like the first crew.....they hung out around the pen like they usually do and Laurie and I finally snuck away to leave them with their fun!

Vin's second release...he stuck around this time.

We didn't see Drake there when we released them, but I'm sure he's around and will catch up with them....I saw him hanging out near the pen just the day before so I know he's doing great and will be very happy his buddies can join him now!

Laurie went by Monday morning and the majority of the gang were sacked out in the den boxes in and on the pen. Vin really likes this gang and he's apparently decided to stick with them instead of head back out to wherever the rest of his brothers disappeared to a couple months back.

We'll keep an eye on the area for a while until eventually, they too will move on and find their own homes in the woods.

Feeding time!

The younger gang are doing great! Very soon now I will have to choose the ones who are ready to go and send them out...I'm a little more attached to these guys so it's going to be tough this time around! Especially my sweet little Michelle! She's such a love.

So this is how it works......I head out toward the pens where all is usually quiet. Then one of the gang hears a noise and comes outside to check it out. (In this case it's Dolci)

Then the call goes out to the rest of the gang.....HEY!!! MOM'S COMING TO FEED USSSSSSSSSS!!

And next thing ya know there's an army of coons anxiously awaiting my arrival with the food bucket! LOL

Of course, I go into the pen on the opposite side of the cage in the larger 10ft section and they all know the routine.....so while I walk over to that entrance, they charge back through the inside and out to the large section to meet me......sounding like a heard of elephants as they go!

Do you have any idea what it is like to have 13 hungry bundles of fur and claws charge toward you like maniacs while you hold the object of their desire in your arms!??

A little like this..... x 13!! LOL!

If anyone happened to wander into my backyard at feeding time they would think I was being mauled by a gang of rabid raccoons as I stand there with 13 clinging bodies hanging on me to get to the bucket of food in my hands faster than I can toss it all out in there! It's like wearing a raccoon fur coat, only they are all still alive. (Luckily I am prepared for this...thus the layers of fleece I wear in the pen, and thick jeans...or I'd come outta there a bloody mess....because yes, they literally leap onto me and climb up!)

Finally the fervor dies down...I am able to spread the food around and one by one they disengage their claws from my body and head to their own separate piles of food.

A couple of the beach boys pick a spot.

My little oh so adorable Pip....along with Michelle she is one of the sweetest little girls! She will most likely be spending the winter so we'll see more of her!

Kinky will also probably be spending the winter. Merry and Dolci will probably stay, and if Dolci does her brother Scrappy will too...they are pretty bonded to each other and I think it would be too stressful to Dolci (who is already skittish to begin with) to be separated.

The 4 beach boys, Drake, Quarry, Pansy and Michelle will all be going soon I think. I'm already bummed thinking about it.....especially Michelle....sigh........this is the time of year I hate!

I've got a few more guests at the inn. JoAnn's 3 possies are going to be ready to go soon so they are here for a couple weeks or so in a release pen getting adjusted to the great outdoors in a large pen with plenty of room for climbing and exploring.

Qbert, Snarf and Snuffles have also joined 5 of JoAnn's squirrels in an outside release pen. They too are weaned and will be ready to go after getting acclimated in one of the large outdoor pens. We put both groups out there in neutral territory at the same time so no conflicts among them and they are all hanging out like one big happy family!

All the pens are filling up fast....hopefully most of them will empty fast too!

Qbert, Snarf and Snuffles

Finally here is little Qbert ..(so named by the people that rescued him) is in with my first 2 babies Snarf and Snuffles. He was very happy to have playmates....
.....and they were more than happy to welcome a new friend!

They are doing great and already eating solids.

Awwwww...and they are just so cute together!

These guys have since moved into a bigger indoor cage and 2 younger greys and the single red are in this cage now. For lack of another red to put him with, he's in with the grey squirrels until we get one. Better to have some company than keep him alone for now.

Michelle and the rest of the little ones have finally been moved into the big pen vacated by the gang that was moved to the release site. More room to stretch their paws and run around like maniacs! They are loving it!!

We're still on track for a Wednesday release for Gerry and the gang....looks like the weather will be nice and Laurie and I are both off to send them on their way. It will be great for them but tough for us.....

Dancing babies!

All 13 young kids are doing great and getting along together....whew! They are just so cute I can't stand it! Michelle relaxes here, trying to beat the heat. It has been pretty hot and humid this past month! I don't know how they do it with all that fur....but it doesn't seem to phase them all that much! Drake is eating...AGAIN! He is the biggest piggy with a pot belly to boot!

Drake and Michelle

Quarry wastes no time getting into position to jump onto me when I walk into the pen. Getting onto the box gets her to about thigh height on me....a nice big, trunk like area to cling to and climb up! Ouch!

Pansy is kind enough to climb the branches, not my limbs.

2 of the beach boys....Tash and Chappy....are interested in the wrestling match going on in the hammock.

Of all the coonie kids that have come and gone, I have never had so many that liked to stand on 2 legs than this group! All 4 of the beach boys, Pip, Merry and Kinky all love to stand on 2 legs, getting onto the box to get my attention by standing up and waving with their front feet. It is soooo adorable and they look like they are dancing!

(And yes, that is Quarry getting ready to spring onto me on the left! That left a new hole in the sweatpants! )

Oooohh....oooohh...pick me, pick me!!!

Ta dah!!

Have I mentioned how freaking cute Pip is?? LOL

The results are in!

Finally! We have the necropsy results on Phillip. Bottom line....NO INFECTIOUS PROCESS! That means no more quarantine....wooohoooo! It was most likely a genetic neurological process.

So that means the 8 younger kids have now been joined by Pansy, Drake and Quarry. Pansy is thrilled to have friends for a change and Drake and Quarry were more than happy to meet new ones. One big happy family of 11 now and I'm happy to say the younger 8 had no problem whatsoever welcoming 3 newcomers and vice versa!

So we have Pansy on the largest side, and Pip on the smallest and a hodge-podge of sizes in between....it's quite the motley crew!