Ok.....other than the return of Einstein, there has been no other sighting or sign of the rest of the gang. Even the food buckets remain untouched. Today I decided I would put the coon cam out there and hopefully get something!
So after work around 11pm I trudge out there and as expected, get no response. I set up the camera and loitered a little longer hoping.....but nothing. I get in my car (a little bummed and worried to say the least) and head out. I turn out of the driveway and not a few yards down the road do I encounter a raccoon standing on the side of the road!! Just standing there looking from my approaching headlights, to the other side of the road, back to me again. I'm thinking..No way! What are the chances? (There was definitely some divine intervention at work!)
So I park the car right there in the road and get out. As I start walking toward it, it finally moves further off the road heading into the woods. I start calling and she stops and decides to climb a nearby tree to get a better look. I make it to the tree and cannot even tell you how thrilled I was to be face to face with Baloo! She's huffing up a storm...but she stopped and waited for me! As I'm talking to her I hear some noise across the street. I turn in time to see 2 more coonies run and hide behind a tree. I head over there calling and RJ pops her head up around the base of the tree. A little more calling and Scootch gives me a friendly chatter. They were pretty skittish and wouldn't come to me, but they acknowledged me. When I turned and headed back toward the car to get some treats, they ran across the street to Baloo's side.
I returned with treats and threw a couple to RJ and Scootch already further in the woods...but they stopped and went for the cookies...... Then I went up to Baloo still clinging to the tree and keeping an eye on her sisters whereabouts while I approached her. She was huffing pretty good and her tail was twitching, but once I got close enough to reach her and she realized what was in my hand she stopped and gently took the cookie in her mouth and headed down the tree to join her sisters.
That's why Baloo was standing and waiting on the side...they must have started crossing until the truck heading toward them stopped them, but not before being separated on opposite sides. Baloo was waiting for her sisters. Luckily they seem street smart too, and obviously it's a very quiet little road. It's a small windy road that no one travels at night....thus my ability to park right in the road for about 15 minutes!
They all looked great and it was well worth the trip out of the way after a night shift! Now I can finally go to sleep....a little more reassured that the gang is ok!
