Mamma dropped everything and came to get me. She tried to find a rehab facility but because they live so far out in the country, the closest one was over 100 miles away. So she turned on the computer and began hunting a mentor. Luckily she found one that was willing to helped her know how to take care of me. I spent the next 2-3 weeks living in a laundry basket with a blanket and a sheet. I ate every 2-3 hours and would chatter to wake mamma up in the middle of the night when I became hungry.
I grew very fast and in no time I was up on my feet and into everything (hehe). I had no playmate, so mamma gave me "Baby", a 4 inch long stuffed raccoon. "Baby" became my best friend and I carried her everywhere. I made it very difficult for mamma to get Baby away from me. For some reason, mamma thought that Baby needed frequent baths!
As I grew, it became more and more difficult for everyone to quench my curiosities. I became bored with every toy I had and mamma was going broke trying to keep me happy. That is when some internet buddies came to the rescue. They sent me a basket full of seashells, smooth rocks, and coins! So many different shapes to feel. Mamma would let me play with only half the shells at a time. That way, when I got bored with them, I had another bunch to keep me happy :-}.
I spent the summer in training. I learned how to fish, and climb trees. Sometimes I would play games and not come down out of the trees even though it was getting dark. Mamma would send the kids up to get me so I wouldn't have to spend the night outside. (I'm glad she did because I really wasn't ready for that yet.)
October 24th was a sad day for my family. All their hard work was coming to an end. They took me for a ride out to quiet area around the lake. There were a few picnic tables around but they looked like they weren't used often. We played for several hours. There were tracks of other raccoons around the lake and I decided to explore my new world.
I found a cool tree that was hollow. I didn't come out for over 30 minutes and when I finally did come out, my people were gone. I spent the night in the hollow tree and awoke to Mamma calling my name. OH, how excited I was! I scurried out of the tree when I saw her and ran and jumped climbing up her leg til I reached her nestling arms. She didn't stay long, only a little petting and she left, one of the boys left some of my favorite food. Mamma and the kids checked on me every morning and Daddy left me food every night. On October 29th (a Saturday) there were people fishing along the riverbank. When I went to greet them they threw things at me (The fishermen thought I had rabies because I was not afraid of them.) And just like before, Daddy rescued me. He was there to check on me, just like every other day, and again he called the Mamma.
It wasn't long before I was back home. That made me SOOO HAPPY! I wasn't allowed in the house much anymore, but I didn't care, outside there were things I could get into when Mamma & Daddy weren't around (Like Mamma's koi pond!). I played with the kids and the dogs everyday. My favorite dog friend is Patches. She is the youngest of the 4 dogs and loves to play "Tackle". Mamma and Daddy live out in the woods so there are plenty of trees for me to play in and I have heard other coons out in those trees. I stayed in the yard, not venturing out for the first week. I slept in the storage building. Daddy cut a hole in the wall so I could get in without any problem.
In late November, I ventured out on my own. I haven't seen Mamma or Daddy since, but I know they are really looking forward to seeing me in the spring!
Mamma is saving the rest of the page for pictures of when I return........STAY TUNED!
