The Girls!

The girls (and Moose) are just on cuteness overload duty these days!! They are so very adorable and they know it! Of course Pip knows she's mom's number one cutie pie and wastes no time taking advantage of that! Kinky, Moose and May want to know what Pip is so excited about.
Merry and Dolci finally pop their heads out to see what all the fuss is about. Food? Is there more food coming?

Awww rats...it's just Mom!

Kinky came over to show off her newly injured hand. It happened the other night when Trouble #1 & Trouble #2 came by for one of their usual evening torments! It's bugging her enough not to use it, but it will heal up in time. Looks like she got it caught between something maybe?

May in all her cuteness!

And her sister Amy lounging comfortably nearby. I love it when they lounge with their legs sprawled over the edge of whatever they are sitting on!

Kinky joins Amy.

My lil' Pip! God she's the sweetest thing! (not that I'm partial or anything! hehe)

Here she joins her sister Merry who decided to come out and play despite the fact that I wasn't feeding them this time.

One beautiful smile from Merry (or maybe it's more like "Maaaaa...she won't leave me alone!)

Stormy and Moose preferred to stay holed up in the den box. No food, no fun! It was also a little cool and windy out too, so I can't say I blame them! They aren't really a mamma's boy and girl like the rest of them are anyway.

OK so I guess I'll say it one more time....are they not the cutest things ever!!

The boys!

Well the boys are doing great! Vin scared the crap out of me when I went into their pen to clean and feed! I'm carrying on in there and catch a movement out of the corner of my eye right above me. Holy crap...I scared the boys when I jumped and screamed like a baby! I think I scared Vin too because he backed up a little and gave me this surprised look! LOL! He must have been thinking...it looks like mom, but it sure didn't sound like mom!

Tash was pretty unfazed by him....more likely wishing he was up there running around with him.

Oblivious to all else, Gibby just wanted his food.....NOW while LB, Andy and Ringo were a little more annoyed with Vin's suddenly discovered presence right about them (and the strange squealing noise mom made!) Tash found the whole incident pretty amusing I think!

So out of the pen I got to have a chat with Vin. He knew he was in for it too! He saw me coming and a very guilty looking coonie decides it would be best to leave the boys alone and climbs down. He's such a wise guy!!!! And he knows it!! Ugghhhh.

So he starts to check out the woods like he is innocently "just exploring" while I tag along hanging out with him. It didn't take me long to figure out what he was up to though as I realized he was on a round about route to guess where???

Yup, right back up to annoy all the girls again! Ohhhhhh what a little wise ass he is!!
Lately, finally, they are sticking to darkness and staying away during the day.

He and Scrappy are a tag team. Wednesday night I went out there to find Scrappy getting the gang all worked up! He was a little better about it though. I went out and he got all playful and cute with me, but he was much better about letting me "encourage" him away from the pens to play. He made an appearance last night too. I was finishing up rounds and look up one of the trees near the girls pen and see a lounging Scrappy watching me. I must have woken him early....God forbid! I just wish he would stop hanging out around the girls!! I don't want him freaking out River and the babies. Even though she's in the indoor section and can not see him, she hears all and reacts to all! I have not seen hide nor hair of them since putting them in there. I can not even open the door without her throwing herself at the door and trying to grab me and KILL me! But I do hear the babies in there....and luckily I left enough food and water for an army in there. When I brace the door and open it just a crack I can see enough to know there is still plenty of food and the water is still clean enough to be drinkable.

I'm going to have to get in there at some point though, and I am not savoring the thought, nor do I have any idea how I am going to do it!

Signs of spring!

I knew it was a good sign when Hissy & the Missus came waddling over to me last week on my rounds! What a wonderful surprise...and they are sporting shiny new leg bands? I wonder the reason for that and I'll have to look into it!

Shortly after their arrival the waterfowl have arrived in droves!!! Tons of geese (including a raucous gang of 6 that keep bullying Hissy away from me when I head out there!) Luckily Hissy actually comes when I call him...I just walk around to a secluded section of the pond and call. He & the Missus eventually works their way to me and get their treat! The swans, great blue heron and multiple breeds of ducks are also back....what a lovely cacophony of sounds coming from the pond now as they meet, greet and pair up! Another sign....(aside from baby raccoons already!)...moms getting their nests ready for the babies! Every year this tree next to the squirrel shed produces playful families of young squirrels! Mom was very busy bringing pile after pile of leaves up the tree and into the knot hole doorway where she is standing in the last pic.

After all that work it was time for some chow at the feeders....and I got a good look at a very pregnant mom before she returned to sprucing up the nest again!

Despite the cooler temps and the actual threat of some snow....Spring is upon us, and that comes straight from the source...nature itself!

Peace in my animal kingdom.

I am always amazed by my furry friends! We already know from past posts that the coyote are not about to screw with the little stinkers.....and that they can, in fact, eat peacefully together out there under a mutual (albeit tenuous at times probably!) truce.
Though I am pretty sure a conflict between coyote and coonie would not ensue except under special circumstances, the coonies are smart enough not to push their luck it. (Any battle between the 2 would risk injury to winner & looser that could affect long term survival and they are both smart enough to know it! Why push your luck?!) The raccoons know when the coyotes are around and they make themselves scarce until they are gone.

Not so much respect for the red fox! At first, as all little ring-tailed piggies will do, they hog the food and chase them off! LOL

As time goes by though, even they can agree to co-exist under a mutual truce! And amazingly, we see the fruits of that understanding.....and I for one, am awed.

The little stinkers on the other hand are only sharing with the coonies because they have no choice! The skunks antics to attempt to scare off the coons are pretty much laughed at.....hysterically I might add, by the coons. There was one clip where a raccoon came in to eat and the skunk wanted none of it! He charged full tilt, tail held high, at the coonie. Mr. Coon proceeded to sit his fat butt down and actually looked toward the skunk like he was bored as stinky raced toward him. Just as the clip ended, so did the threat.....Mr. Coon obviously wasn't impressed and stinky had to slam on the breaks, his ass end flying into the air before coming back down to earth, as he managed to come to a halt within inches of the raccoon.

So eat together they do....because the raccoons love their food more than they fear the stink bomb!