This morning I was wondering what on earth I was going to post about today. I didn't have anything interesting on the schedule; just taking care of the goats and all the usual chores. At just before 7:00 this morning, I got a text from a friend. "Have any goat milk for sale? I have two baby coons to feed." Well, that changes everything!
Holy cow! I've never been this close to a live raccoon before, let alone a baby! He is totally adorable! My friend only had a tiny bottle for feeding kittens, and the little guy couldn't latch onto it. So of course, I brought him home. It is only temporary. Just long enough to see if the Pritchard nipples I use when bottle feeding goats would work. They do, and he's had several good meals.
I don't know what my friend's long term plan is, but I have had a lovely afternoon hanging out with one of the cutest mammals I've ever seen. Hopefully she will find a sanctuary (is there such a place?) that will take him. He is too young to survive on his own in the wild, and if he is raised by humans, he will never be able to live on his own. Maybe 
The timing of this little adventure is pretty funny, since my only post yesterday was a freewrite where I compared one of the characters to a raccoon. Now there is one on my couch. I guess I should be careful not to compare anyone to a hippopotamus. I don't have a big enough garden to feed one of those.
I am a total sucker for baby animals of any kind, and this one is exceedingly sweet. I didn't know this until today, but raccoons purr! Not quite like cats, but they have a happy little purring sound that is very cute.
I am conflicted about falling in love with a raccoon, and am really trying hard not to. Raccoons are responsible for so many chicken murders, and cat maimings, and all sorts of other naughtiness, but look at his little face! I am going to stop swooning over this little trouble-maker immediately. I just had to share him with you.
