Thursday, November 19, 2009

Where the Wild Things Are

There have been some strange things in our backyard lately. Suprisingly, little or no squirrel activity (scary...) but other weird creatures...like this one:


It was some sort of "cat-a-pillar". It was long and black and fuzzy (much like Simon's tail). It was by my waterbowl outside.


Mom told me to stay away from it (that's me, giving it stink eye it in the background) since it looked kinda scary. The whole black spines and red rings seemed bad. So after Mr. Cat-a-pillar's photoshoot mom tossed him into the neighbor's yard (Merry Christmas neighbors!)

She looked it up and found out that this cat-a-pillar isn't dangerous, he just puts on a big show. And he turns into some sort of leopard moth like this:
We've never seen this type of moth at the house, but since mom has chunked two of these cat-a-pillars into the neighbor's yard, maybe we will in the spring. That or our neighbor will be engulfed in giant leopard moths courtesy of mom.

Onto the other critter I found! Mom let us out at to do our potty business the other night and I scampered off to pee and also patrol the yard for possible squirrel infestation. I found something, the BIGGEST squirrel I've ever seen in my whole life. I thought I hit the motherload!


I barked at it and chased it up the tree. Mom heard the commotion and went inside to get a flashlight. She then got me inside so she could look (I guess me trying to climb the tree was a weee bit distracting...whatever).

Mom said what she found wasn't a giant squirrel but this:





I treed a raccoon!! Wait, what the crap is a raccoon? Mom said raccoons are night critters that are pretty smart and scavenge for food. Thank GOD I hid my nasty bully stick in my pit! But she said they can be mean, so I need to be careful. Pfft. Whatever. I ain't scared of no raccoon! (I'm rolling my eyes right now...just to let you know)

I had to stay in the house for an hour so Mr. Coon could leave. Went back out and sure nuff, he'd climbed down the tree and escaped out the fence. So after I got done tracking his escape, I went back to the tree and pooped under that. Take that woodland critters! Stay out of my yard!!

9 comments:

  1. Whoah....you have a scary backyard Anna. Although....maybe the squirrels are just dressing up as raccons and cat a pillars to fool you!

    Smileys!
    Dory

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  2. That be an interesting looking mof. Wot lucky neybors you has to get mof gifties. I runned into a rakoon in my yard one night. We skeered each udder. He ranned over the fence one way and I ranned out the gate and jumped in the car the udder way. Mom said we woz both big chickens. Umm, but wozn't she the one who stalked round the yard wif the flashlight and pooper scooper as a possible weapon afore she sawed the rakoon go over the fence?

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  3. What an interesting back yard adventure! That is a pretty wicked looking caterpillar.

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  4. Good grief Anna...you better be careful out there!! There are some strange critters lurking around. Racoons aren't too good although they can be cute at a distance. I hope you don't find a skunk in your yard..if you see one...run away!!! Love your face while you are looking at that crazy bug!!!

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  5. Wooo - has been a while since we have had a raccoon in the yard, but we have had them. Have to be careful around here because so many of them have that rabies stuff.

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  6. Raccoons are not nice critters, Anna. You would be better off making friends with that catapillar. But you sure do have an interesting yard. Mom is always worried here that we will corner a skunk.


    Woos and happy weekend, the OP Pack

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  7. That cat-a-pillar sure does look suspicious. You sure that some real cats didn't send him around?

    Woofs and Kisses!

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  8. Very smart of you to poop under that tree! Nobody likes to step in poo!
    ~wags-n-wiggles~
    wild dingo

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