Our neighbor critters.....

About 3 weeks ago I was sitting in my living room watching TV, when I heard a strange shrilling sound coming from outside below my window. It reminded me of a cross between an upset baby and a dying bird! I rushed over to the window and saw two baby raccoons poking their heads out from the storm drain along the street in front of our apartment building! The babies were howling and crying for their mama - who appeared to be missing. :( David and I kept our eye on them for the next couple of hours and their mama still hadn't returned. I hoped to myself that she was just out on a mission to gather food for her little ones, but inside I also feared that maybe she was injured, perhaps even dead (we do live on a very busy street...). My heart ached for those poor little who were left all alone, and I even looked up the number for a local wildlife rescue organization just in case.....

But the next day I walked down to the street to check out the situation and the baby raccoons were no where to be found! I hoped and prayed that their mama had returned later the past evening, and that the whole raccoon family was safe and sound enjoying life below the gutters of Alameda. And they had been out of my mind since then....

But today the raccoons were back - and not only were there 2 little raccoon babies in our storm drain, but so was their mama and yet a third little baby! They all appeared to be healthy and thriving, except I still don't quite understand why they were out and about during the middle of the day on a busy street corner! All I know is that it appears that we have some new neighbor critters living next to us in the storm drains on Shore Line Drive. The babies are adorable, but the mama looks like a fierce force to be reckoned with! These pics don't do them justice, but here is a shot I got earlier today from our living room window.