The Gang Arrived Last Night.

I can't be certain, but I suspect they are from Kimmie's gang. They are just about a year old now.

Look at that smile!

No doubt about it, this is one very happy raccoon. Seems to like cleaning up the seed the birds have dropped.

Don't forget to check way down for the older posts. There you will see Kimmie with her family from last year. I wonder how many she will be raising this summer. We will probably get our first sighting in early June.

Look at that tail!

This is Kimmie aka Big Momma. I'm not certain yet, but she is probably pregnant. Normally a raccoons tail is quite a bit thinner at this time of year - having used up much of their stored reserves. But both Kimmie, and the shy one have very fat tails.

Mother Kimmie Returns

This is the first raccoon to appear this year. It's an old friend, Kimmie. She is looking extremely well after a hard winter.

Kimmie

'I'm looking over a four leaf clover' - and keeping an eye on her youngsters as they eat.

Mother Kimmie Resting

Photos taken last June and July. Kimmie is as big as she looks here - yet is very gentle and loves to bring her family by so I can pretend to be a babysitter.

Old Friends

Kimmie and two of her kits (now grown up) dropped in this evening - I guess to say hello. (More photos on the side). Kimmie - or better known as Big Momma, is huge, and the two female youngsters with her are pretty big too! Yet they are as friendly as ever, and very easy to get along with.

Kimmie ready for winter

All fat and ready for winter. Kimmie is one very big raccoon! She is seldom with her brood now. Though they are still sticking together now, they are pretty well on their own.

Just the Local Gossip!

Kimmie (Big Momma) dropped in to tell me how her day went while the youngsters scrambled to find something to eat.

Kimmie poses with her son.

The photograph speaks for itself. Proud momma!

Kimmie and gang came for supper

Kimmie was in a very relazed mood. Her youngsters were in a very playful mood - all behaving very well and practically setting up the entire photo session by themselves.

Kimmie Supervising the Antics of her kits

You can see how relaxed she was last night. I was right up close to her, and her youngsters were all around me looking for food. My main problem was how to swat mosquitos while taking the photographs.

Big Momma, aka Kimmie.

Just a couple or 'portraits' of Kimmie that I took last week. Though Kimmie is very big for a raccoon, she has a very passive, almost friendly nature. A beautiful critter.

Big Momma Relaxing!

Oh my! What a busy night. After Chloe came by to show off one of her family, we had a visit from Kimmie (Big Momma) and her gang of five. Big Momma seems to have decided to let us act as baby sitters, (or should that be kit sitters) - while she moved off about twenty feet to just relax.

Raccoons and Water - go together!

Dunking time! Or perhaps just playing in the water. The dish is 15 inches across - a little bigger than the kit.

Big Momma

Surprise at midnight!

In all there were five bundles of fur. I had taken about eight photos when I realized my flash was not working properly. Nearly dead batteries! Using rechargeable batteries is OK, except they suddenly die without warning. I was worried that the raccoon gang would move on while I put in fresh batteries - but they stayed, munching on some kibble, apple, and a few tea biscuits.

The black line you see in some photos is exactly a foot long - to help give an idea of size.

Now - how to tell one kit from another? Certainly oe seems to have lighter colored fur than the other four - and two of them seem to be somewhat more outgoing in nature. Finding names for them will be - interesting.

Bear Returns - with Kimmie?

Later last night I had a visit from a huge raccoon. I think it was Kimmie, aka Big Momma. This raccoon is about five times larger than Chloe - but is as gentle as a lamb at this time of year. A few minutes later an even bigger, very rough looking character joined Kimmie at the dinner table. Also a gentle giant - this one looked familiar. Sure enough, a good photograph comparison identifies this one as Bear - one raccoon I never expected to see again. (Check further down for another photo of Bear taken last year).

I have no idea what these two weigh - but my guess is they may be around fifty pounds! And yet, (at this time of year) - they are as friendly and gentle as can be.

Still one question remains, (Only one)? Is that Kimmie? If not who is it? This raccoon obviously knew me. A search through my photographs may supply the answer. About the only real distinguishing mark is that tail, (and of course the size). But marks like that are only temporary.

Keep you posted. It's going to be an exciting summer in the back yard!