Forget Vanity Fair. With apologies to the C.I.A., I have the REAL photo of Valerie P.
Valerie P. is a mother raccoon with four growing babies who comes by late at night, or early in the morning, for some dog food and peanut butter sandwiches. I put out big bowls of water for her, with lots of grapes that Valerie P. bobs for … although sometimes she just turns the water bowl over, and chomps on the grapes. My neighbor Pat snapped this terrific photo of the lithe, stealthy Valerie P. Yes, we named her in honor of Valerie Plame, dedicated CIA agent outted by the dastardly demagogue Robert Novak. OPEN THREAD … enjoy!
And the neighborhood skunk would be… Robert Novak?
Skunks are pretty cute … I really can’t think of a single creature in the wild kingdom that could compare to Novak’s greed and lack of ethics.
Yeah… but they match up nicely when it comes to how much they STINK!
Oh yes … where i grew up in Eastern Wash. state, we had loads of skunks around and it was a regular affair for our dogs to get “skunked.”
Unbelievably awful smell. Very hard to bathe it off.
I’ve seen a few skunks around here, but not in my neighborhood.
Don’t you also have a Barbara Boxer critter? And a couple of others, I think.
That’s fun, naming them after people like that.
On another topic… being a boyscout or a boyscout leader is becoming a very dangerous activity! Between deadly lightning strikes (on the east and west coasts, within days of each other) and heat exhaustion and who knows what else… I feel very sorry for the kids.
Yes! Pat is trying to get a photo of Senator Boxer … who’s quite lame…. his/her right rear leg drags behind him, utterly useless.
We tried to catch Sen. Boxer for a month, using a humane trap. We had two certified wildlife rehab places lined up to take him. But he was too wilely for the trap.
Then I joined the Yahoo group about raccoons, and every one of them said it’s good we didn’t catch en. Boxer. As long as he can get about, despite his leg, it’d be cruel to terrify him by capturing him and that the rehabbers might have to euthanize him. They said he’s surely much happier, and is used to his leg.
Isn’t that bizarre about those Boy Scouts ?!
Yes The lightning stike thing is odd. It made me wonder if it could be an indicator of increased lightning strikes worldwide, hence the seemingly bizarre coincidence of two boy scout events being hit is such a short time. I wonder if the rate of lightning accidents in the general population is up. Or maybe I’m just under the influence of the movie “The Core” which we rented on Friday. It was kind of silly, but I enjoyed it.
Hi Susan.
I hate to have to bring this up, but what part of the country do you live in?
The reason I ask is that if you’re in the Eastern US or Ontario, you might want to have Valerie go find her lunch the old fashioned way in the creek.
Raccoon rabies is spreading in these areas and I’d hate to have you or a loved one have to go through the painful series of rabies shots if Valerie should fall ill.
Here’s a site with some general information.
Here’s a site with information on raccoon bait laced with rabies vaccine, that’s being dropped from airplanes in eastern TN (and elsewhere along the Appalachians) to try and stop the westward spread of this animal disease. Unfortunately, the “cordon sanitaire” did not hold in Ohio, and raccoon rabies has entered that state.
Foxes, skunks, and bats can carry rabies, too; if you see any of these animals acting strangely stay away and notify your local animal control department and/or health department.
This has been a BMT environmental health public service announcement. We now return you to your regular open thread.
We’re on the far northwest corner of WA state — on the Olympic Peninsula. I can look out my window and see SYBIL! (Not really … but I can see Vancouver Island, where Sybil lives.)
We never get near the raccoons, and we place the food far away from our doors.
They still act skittish around us, and I’m glad. I wouldn’t want them to trust people too much.
Thanks for all the great info on rabies … we know a bit about it, but can probably learn a lot more!
FACT: In his 20s, Joseph Wilson was a carpenter in Sequim, which is about 12 miles from where we live.
Hmmm… …Joseph was a carpenter…
What was his wife and stepson’s names?
for her sake.
Raccoons rapidly lose their fear of humans and get closer and closer. Eventually a “misunderstanding” will occur and she might bite somebody – perhaps a neighbors child, say.
Then the authorities come and kill the racoon to test for rabies.
I’ve seen this happen.
As cute as they are, don’t encourage them to come to close. It isn’t doing them any favors.
A very alert tourist in DC spotted Novak without his makeup out in public.
NOVAK
(No offense meant to the great Charles Laughton).
I love that … makes me giggle every time I open this thread :):)
Bush practices Yoga at the” ranch”
<evil laugh>
Peace
FYI on the rabies warning: there’s never been a case of raccoon rabies in WA state. In fact, none of our four-legged Puget Sound-area furried friends are regular carriers of the virus.
http://healthlinks.washington.edu/nwcphp/rabies/Rabepi.html
However, a warning about slug bait: I unintentionally poisoned a raccoon in my Seattle yard earlier this year with some thoughtlessly laid out slug bait. If must go to battle with the slugs, be very careful to buy non-toxic baits. Otherwise you’ll forever be bleating your plaintive mea culpas to every passing raccoon, like I have been.
Ohhhhhhh …
Did the raccoon die? How did you know you’d poisoned it?
Have you lived in Seattle area long enough to remember the old Sat. night comedy show on KING TV?
They did a hilarious takeoff of Lassie with “Sluggy.”
From a fan site: “One other funny and original skit that just came to mind was The Adventures of Sluggy. The little girl hugging and kissing her lost pet slug and ending up with slime all over her face was a classic.”
Here’s a Wiki on how to get rid of slugs the non-toxic and kind-to-mother-earth way.
Yes, alack, the raccoon did die. My tenants in the basement apartment discovered it when they opened their window and were greeted with its contorted, dead face staring back at them. It had gone and laid in the basement window sill to die… The animal control officer who came to dispose of it confirmed my fears that my slug bait was the most probable culprit. I’d been so careful never to use any pesticides for any other purpose, but finally broke down this past, very damp and cool spring (i.e., slug heaven) when legions of slugs descended on my veggies and dahlias. I did read the label, and heeded the warnings about hazards to dogs and cats… I just wasn’t thinking about my non-domesticated yard visitors. Lesson learned– and indeed, the organic approaches work supremely well, with a little patience. Thanks for the link… but I’ll warn you, the one about trying beer doesn’t work. I drank cases of it, and still had slugs.
I’ve only lived here since late ’99, when the show you mentioned was concluding its long run on local TV. I wish they’d rerun some of it because I’ve heard other fond memories of some of their sketches.
This diary brings back fond memories of yesteryear for me. My brothers and I had a little “Bandit” as a pet, then as an adult we let him loose on my uncles farm.
If you really want to see some action, try popcorn. The little guy would make confetti out of the paper bag going after it.
Ooops, if’n you’ve got sweet corn in your garden you just might think twice on the above suggestion.
I have been buying the fresh corn that’s hitting the supermarkets.
I cook it — and yes, put a little butter on it! — and put it out with their plate of food.
It’s so cute in the morning to find the gnawed cob.
I try various vegetables. The raccoon Yahoo group said that they like sweet potatoes, so I cooked one … no go. But the crows ate it.
Last night, I tried a couple really sweet cherry tomatoes. Nope. But they’re devouring the purple grapes I bought!