Odd Encounters

Animal encounters, strange or otherwise, aren't a surprise when you're hiking or camping.

But you hardly expect to have such encounters when you're antiquing in Homestead, Florida with Babs Snyderman and Dr. Leslie D____.

There we were last week, wandering leisurely through a slice of old Florida, the historic Cauley Square, when we saw them. Not one. Not two. No, not three. Twelve. Twelve raccoons were playing in a secluded stone pond possessing what was once a waterfall feature. They romped. They frolicked. They appeared to have not a care in the world.

What a sight! What a photo op! Dr. Leslie D____ was the only one of our trio toting a camera. As a matter of fact, she and her camera enjoy one another immensely and she certainly isn't in need of my instruction.

However. I couldn't help but feel that a photo worthy of National Geographic could perhaps be had if she moved closer or slowly edged her way around the left side of the pond and climbed onto the rocks of the defunct waterfall feature. She'd be only feet away from them! 

Of course, she'd first have to skirt the really large raccoon loitering on that left side. But, he seemed to be paying hardly any attention to us at all.

Dr. Leslie D_____ appeared to hesitate just as one of the baby raccoons began chasing his tail. I gently nudged her forward as Babs, standing behind me, dryly mentioned, "You know, raccoons can have rabies."

Dr. Leslie D____, as it turns out, can be quite immovable.

"Don't worry," I said. "I'm right here. Right behind you."

My rear guard appeared to be little comfort but we did take the slightest step forward when the large loiterer on the left suddenly rushed towards us. Trotting with intent might better describe him but, however one might gauge his speed, suffice to say we took him seriously. We squealed like little girls and scrambled back from the pond. The photo op, so we thought, was lost.

We couldn't help but notice as we made our way to the shop fronting the pond that still more raccoons were peaking out at us.

And cats. At least 20 cats.

As it turns out, thanks to the woman who owns this shop, raccoons and cats live in perfect harmony. She throws food out for all of them while they lounge upon her porch, climb onto her roof and crawl from under the house.

It was endearing yet oddly creepy. It also raised some quite practical questions we thought best left unasked.

But my imagination can't help but run wild. What kind of woman invites that many wild and feral animals into her life and business? She's hugely outnumbered. What if they should rally and rise against her? Is this population proceeding unchecked and are there mutations occurring even as I write? Or, is she herself a shape-shifter with a diabolical plan aimed at wresting Cauley Square from humans. Does this raccoon slash cat lady realize her life is a heartbeat away from becoming the stuff of nightmares?

And what kind of animal encounter would this woman find odd?

She might just be a perfect character for my ghost story... 

I've had several unexpected animal encounters in my time. One of the oddest occurred when my kids were still small. My husband had brought home a three foot black snake who took to living in an aquarium in our kitchen. One morning my little Kenny woke me up from a deep sleep as he climbed into bed with me. I told him I had been dreaming that our snake's eyes had clouded over, which led to a discussion of a snake shedding his skin. We got up and went downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast.

Our snakes eyes were clouded over. He shed his skin ten days later.

What on earth do you make of that?!

The picture above was taken by Dr. Leslie D___.