Raccoon

I caught site of her through the window as she crossed the lawn, heading toward the hill at the end of the house. She was dripping wet, probably just out of the pond. I grabbed my camera and shot out the back door. At the end of the house our paths met, forcing her to retreat under a neighbor’s storage shed. She looked cold and frightened, I thought.

It was almost dark under there; I could just make her out. Of course, flash is a “no-no” with animals: most don’t have the blink reflex of humans, and it could hurt their eyes. I set the camera on “Auto” and fired away. The auto focus, auto exposure and anti-shake mechanisms all did a pretty good job, considering the poor light, but a little sharpening in the computer helped at the end.

This was the first raccoon I’d seen around the house in a long time, although several neighbors have reported them recently. Frankly, I didn’t know for sure whether it was male or female, but something told me to call it “she.”

She looked scared under there, poor thing. That’s the downside of taking wildlife: worry that I may be causing harm.

Comments are welcome.