We Interrupt This Program

    This photo was so much fun to take that I am interrupting the string of Montana blogs to show it to you.
    Honey Bunny was in the kitchen getting his afternoon coffee when he happened to glance out the window at the Chinese Plum tree. The raccoon saw him first and ducked his head. All Honey could tell was that there was an animal in the tree.  
    From my comfy chair on the back porch I heard, "Darling! Where are the binoculars?" We pulled the binoculars out from the cabinet and watched the young raccoon as he sat very still. He was perched on a limb that measured only one inch in diameter. A hurricane is approaching our state and we have a steady breeze moving the trees. In addition to this our dog came around to the front yard to see what we were doing. All this made for a very unpleasant afternoon for the raccoon.
    It is usual for us to have young raccoons and possums visit us in the late summer. This one would have been born this past spring. His mother would have shown him where to find food before he moved out of the home. Apparently she showed him our yard with our the bird feeder and fruit trees. When he climbs down from this tree he will travel head first, but will turn his back feet around so that his toes point up the tree.
    Surprisingly, our dog Kira did not detect his presence. She is always very aware and has an excellent nose. I have often seen her stand up on her back legs with her front legs on a tree trunk sniffing the air and barking. I am not sure why she did not pick up on the fact that we had a visitor in our yard. Perhaps the major change in the weather affects her sense of smell in some way.
    The Chinese believe that plums have many health benefits. In studies on rats they increased the rats' endurance while running. Tonight after dark this fellow will surely eat more plums, climb down from his perch, and run away! Without getting winded!