Tuesday. We went late to dinner. We left at 7:30 for a short stop at Captain D's (fish fast food). I saw that rain was coming but thought I could get back before it hit us. As we came home at 8:30, the storm raged in. It was a drencher. A gale of a storm. It must have dumped an inch or more in an hour before it raced on. I wasn't able to get out to feed the critters until 9:00. Had to make sure the lightning was far off in the distance before I went outside.

Now the first problem with feeding them that late is that they are more rambunctious and Cheyenne and Marge are more aggressive being the nocturnal animals that they are. I have to contend with Cheyenne jumping up on my back as soon as I step in to set the dish of eggs or chicken down. She loves to play with the tags on the inside of my shirt. Either that or my ponytail holder which she viciously shakes off my head. Sheila, the littlest and youngest one, is hovering around my feet, if she hasn't made it up onto my shoulders by chance or skill, because she knows I've got a bottle for her. It's funny to see Sheila shoot out of that dogpile of raccoons on the shelf as soon as she sees me coming. She hungers for that bottle so. Marge can be the next one that wants to join the pack on my back. Midge is much gentler and sniffs around from the chair putting her feet up on my side to try to see what I've got. Goldie hangs back on the shelf longer than the rest but soon enough I find her milling about under my feet because she's just as curious as the rest of them but not quite as impatient.

As soon as I stepped inside the cage, all of them wanted my attention and wanted to know right now what new things I'd brought in to entertain them with. If I have a bottle in my pocket, they go right to it and vigorously scratch at it trying to figure out how to get it out of there.

The second problem that night was that there was a huge pool of water on the tarp that covers the roof of the cage. After that downpour, it was sagging worse than I'd ever seen it. The only way to get rid of it is to push up on the chicken wire and the tarp and let it spill over the sides. Trouble with that is then EVERYTHING gets drenched as it pours down the sides in a torrent. Picture me holding in one hand a dish of scrumptious smelling chicken out of the way of the demanding paws of two or three hungry raccoons that are on my shoulders and my other hand stretched up to push the water off the cage. I have to get a wave action going to get the water moving off the tarp because it is so heavy. That makes it splash even more and my feet get soaking wet and my legs get mud splattered. All the raccoons scattered except for Sheila who clings to my neck leaving a few scratches there. They ran to the cat carrier to hide from the noise (also leaving a few scratches on my arm in their haste) but ended up getting bathed in the water that is streaming over the sides and onto the shelf where the carrier is resting. Then I got a dose of water droplets in my face as they shook themselves like a dog to get dry.

Finally, I put the food down. Cheyenne jumped on my back again. Sheila wrappped herself around my neck like a fur collar as I bent over. I scooped Goldie up who was back hovering around my feet. And then I delicately tried to inch my way out of there without hurting anyone. But I didn't make it. Marge moved and I stepped on her foot. She made tremulous sounds and nipped my heel twice before I realized that I was on her foot. Poor girl. Her foot was okay judging by the way she went right back to the chicken. Finally, the older three were all occupied with the food on the floor and I was able to extricate myself from the mess and the confusion.

Feeding Goldie and Sheila went just like usual. Goldie stood on the table top and lapped up the rice/formula mixture Sheila gulped down the bottle gruel. Exhausted and wet, I slipped them back in the cage through the pail door and went inside feeling worked over.

Compare that with this morning.

The morning was bright and cheery. No rain in sight. I prepared Sheila's morning bottle and Goldie's morning rice/formula mixture in a bowl. Mashed up some bananas for the older girls and grabbed the sack of dog food as I went out the back door. I was wearing slacks for once because I didn't want my ankles to get bit up like they had been getting the past couple of days. I had decided to sit inside the cage on the chair and spend some "quality" time with the troupe. I hoped to feed Sheila and Goldie while sitting in there without too much hassle from the older ones. They still remember that bottle and want it.

Before I went in and sat down, I noted that the ground had dried up. No mud in sight. The chair is right next to the shelf so my head was easy access to all of them. Goldie usually sleeps inside the carrier with her head in the doorway. She looked out at me and yawned then turned on her back to stretch. Sheila had spotted me and had already climbed her way over the dogpile of raccoons so she was the first one to scrabble onto me as I sat down. Instantly, she nuzzled around wondering where her bottle was. Midge and Marge woke up and casually came over and sat by my head. Cheyenne sleeps heavily but she was awakened by all the movement and as soon as she saw me she came over and got on my shoulders.

I had put the bowl of bananas down on the floor but they hadn't noticed it yet. They were enthralled with me being in there to sit upon and play with. And play they did but in such a gentle manner it enthralled me. Cheyenne spent the next 45 minutes pawing and pushing at every inch of my blouse, inside the sleeves, down my front, picking at the buttons, and especially trying her darndest to get that tag off the back of my shirt. She spent a good deal of the time chewing on my hair, too, after she expertly took the ponytail holder out of it.

Sheila was down on my lap and since Cheyenne was busy with my back, I let the little one have her bottle. Greedily, she sucked and I was surprised that the others didn't pay much attention to it. I thought they would get on my lap, too, and start fighting her for it. But they didn't. With Sheila finished, I put the older three on the floor hoping to draw their attention to the bananas and the fresh dog food I had put down. This gave me enough time to open up the container of rice/formula I had for Goldie. I swung her over and she readily lapped it all up. Again, I was surprised that the older ones didn't muscle their way up and take it over. Cheyenne was back up on me but again she was more interested in what was under my blouse than in eating anything.

One by one, I scooped them up and held them like a baby. They seemed to enjoy the armpit rubs and the attention but they were too energetic to stay long. They were "up and at 'em" within a few minutes. I was enjoying the cuddle time quite a bit and all of them were very charming and well-behaved the whole time. Goldie went to sleep behind the carrier for about five minutes while Marge, who had finally tired of me, sat behind her and groomed herself. At one point, three of them were very interested in the ring on my left hand and were trying to figure out how to get it off.

After an hour, all of them, except for Cheyenne, seemed to be settling down for napping again. I got up and tidied up the cage, all the while with Cheyenne on my back. That girl! Then I exited the cage with ease. With Cheyenne still on my back. But she got put back in by the pail door.

Yes, that was one heckuva morning. And Tuesday night was one heckuva night.

I know I've written quite long here but I must mention something. Once again, my dear, dear husband worked like a slave to make my life a bit easier. He built an "air lock" onto the cage. It's a two-foot extension of the cage so that I can go in and out easier. The idea being that they will be in the main cage when I need to get in and not so at the fore to escape. He built it last weekend and it works like a charm. That one labor of love has made my rehabbing efforts wonderfully less stressful. The picture here shows Midge helping to hold the measuring tape for Bill as he measured for the new addition.