MONKEY MUSINGS DAILY OPEN DISCUSSION #48 7/29/09 - 8/11/09

[Bearlyhere]

Good Morning, Monkeys.

I once had two pet raccoons--Davy and Daniel.  Someone who knew I love animals had given them to my husband to bring home to me.  They had been orphaned by a car hitting their mother but were old enough to eat solid food. I was still asleep when he brought them home, so he just put them down in their box in the den.  When I woke up and he called to tell me about them, I couldn't find them in the box.  I found little black footprints in the bathtubs where they had been trying to find water, I guess.  I found them curled up in the fireplace grate with a lot of soot on them.  Yes, I gave them a bath.  We had a garden house so my husband cut a door in it and partitioned off a section and built a fence for them.  They were very interesting.  They would steal shiny objects and put them in their "Secret" cache.  They would wash their food, just because they have little saliva and needed the water on it.  They loved Oreos, but when they washed them, they would desintegrate.  If they didn't wash them, they would open them up to eat the icing.  They also loved Life Savers, but would pick out the red ones first.  They have opposing thumbs, (I think) but anyway  could pick up a lot of things.  They had soft little hands and would feel my face. They would climb up me and sit on my shoulders.  All of the birds left the yard, because they are escape artists and would go up in the trees when they got the door of their house open.  They once went to my neighbors barbeque pit and I went to get them with a box of Chipos.  When I would shake it, they would come from anywhere.  I fed them dog food, got them rabies shots and took good care of them.  They were beautiful. When Spring came after a year or two, we took them to the woods and released them so they could live with their own kind. 

I wouldn't recommend them as pets because they are wild animals and have long claws and big teeth.  I was probably lucky they never got mad at me as they could have hurt me if they wanted to.  But, it was an interesting experience and I learned that raccoons are very intelligent and have charming habits.  They were actually naturally housebroken and would use one corner of their pen as a latrine.  I hope they lived long lives in the woods with their raccoon friends.

Years ago I had a client that had a raccoon as a pet.  He would walk around town with this raccoon on his shoulder.  One day a car honked it's horn real loud and close to them them and the raccoon got scared and bit off it's owners nose.  OMG, they re-attached it but what an ugly scar.  He got rid of his raccoon after that, don't know what he did with it.

Yes, they are wild animals 

LOL  I do still have my nose, but I can see that they could do that if they wanted to.  I wonder if that's what happened to Michael Jackson's nose.  Nah, probably it was bubbles the chimp.

No.  It was doctor, the hack!

[Bearlyhere]

OMG!!  If PT came home with two baby anything and left them in a box for me to find in the morning, I seriously would need a lawyer because I would KILL him!   

You are a good sport and obviously a nicer wife!!   

Oh no, I just loved Davy and Daniel.  I'd take in a baby anything, except maybe a snake.  But I'd prefer those three Yorkies.

I still would want a phone call!   

What if you woke up and a baby raccoon was in your bed..just looking at you?   

Definitely preferable to some I have woken up to, just sayin'.

 

[Bearlyhere]

I can just see Jackie.................  Standing on her deck with a shotgun, her yard pitted with smoking trenches, and her house a total smoldering pile. All that's left is rocky raccoon wagging it's tongue at her! 

 

  Probably.

Have you had any encounters with wildlife where you're at?

When I have my car washed, it's usually to get the raccoon prints off!  Seriously!
I was "snorted" at by a huge buck that was at my front door. I hadn't seen it, and had just shut the door and turned at the sound to be eye to eye with the buck. The door was locked!
A fox showed up in the yard when my bitch was in heat. Neither my dog, nor the fox were interested in me getting her inside the house!
3 Thanksgivings ago, I got up early to get started cooking and was sitting in the family room (LOTS of big windows) drinking a cup of coffee. I happened to look out and watched as 23 turkeys ambled through the yard!
You don't even want to know how many snakes I've encountered.
A bat got in the house once.
My son used to paint gun target practice at possums. I HATE them! Animal control came out to pick up 14 in one summer that were in my trash can (one at a time). I'd just put the lid on and call. One of them had all these babies stuck on her stomach! YUK!!!
A saw a wolf once, and a bear climbed a neighbor's tree last year.

I live in a zoo.   

CBB, the great outdoors woman, queen of nature.

                             



 

[Bearlyhere]

OMG!!  If PT came home with two baby anything and left them in a box for me to find in the morning, I seriously would need a lawyer because I would KILL him!   

You are a good sport and obviously a nicer wife!!   

I'll tell PT to take these back where he got them: 

These would be okay, Klaas, she said 2 baby anything, she never mentioned 3!

 

[Kermit]

FOR KLASSEND - taken the day you headed to the beach to see the waves - down at Ritz Carlton.


THE WAVES - JULY 24, 2009

[mytime]

Kermit - those waves look awesome! Surfs up!!   

[Babybear]

OMG!!  If PT came home with two baby anything and left them in a box for me to find in the morning, I seriously would need a lawyer because I would KILL him!   

You are a good sport and obviously a nicer wife!!   

Oh no, I just loved Davy and Daniel.  I'd take in a baby anything, except maybe a snake.  But I'd prefer those three Yorkies.

I still would want a phone call!   

What if you woke up and a baby raccoon was in your bed..just looking at you?   

Definitely preferable to some I have woken up to, just sayin'.

 

LOL--That's so funny Bearly.  At my age, I'll take anything I can get.

[mytime]

This is why I don't make dinner!!   

Tonight I made chicken piccata and angel hair pasta and PT is already asleep on the couch.  That's it, I am starving him for now on!   

[Babybear]

This is why I don't make dinner!!   

Tonight I made chicken piccata and angel hair pasta and PT is already asleep on the couch.  That's it, I am starving him for now on!   

Sounds fair.

[mytime]

This is why I don't make dinner!!   

Tonight I made chicken piccata and angel hair pasta and PT is already asleep on the couch.  That's it, I am starving him for now on!   

Sounds fair.

    Thank you!!   

[Deenie]

Babybear I love your Raccoon Story - AWE.

I have never befriended Raccoons before. I did .. CBB dont be upset.. took care of a Possum that lived in my Wood pile behind my house when I was a teen. She lived in the wood pile for our fireplace. My Dad had it converted to gas and left the wood - I think because he knew she lived in the wood. She was a happy Possum and I would hand feed her Apples and basically anything..she would take it right from my hand.
She would sit on top the ledge which was directly at my shoulder ..so we were pretty much Eye to eye.  She was my Possum for 3 yrs and then she just went Poof. My Dad then emptied the wood pile and we found her. She died. Poor Baby.
Then one year I was my friend on her boat. We were getting it ready to use after a long winter. Was a small little boat. And OMGoodness we scared a Momma to death ..she had inside the boat all her babies. She was a Field Mouse bigger though of sorts .. Not a Rat. Mom jumped overboard and left 6 itty bitty babies ..in the boat. We waited and Mom never came back. So I fostered the Babies for 3 days. I fed them with kitten formula and rice cereal and I kept them warm. They opened their eyes and I was obsessed with them. I had to go back to work so I could not feed them every few hours and I took them to the Human Society. I called first and they said YES we will take them.
Then my BF years later he was cutting/trimming his trees and OMG he on total accident Killed a Mamma Squirrel. omg He bawled his head off. He though found himself a Squirrel Daddy. He all these babies and No Mamma. He did everything for them. He kept them in his pole barn and even slept with them the first few nights. He fed them and did everything He could think of. They started to Gain hair and opened their eyes and one by one they died. He was devastated.  We didn't know at the time to stimulate their bums to make them poop so they were backing up inside everything they ate and it became toxic.
I can totally relate though of falling head over heels for wild Animal Babies. I know now though its best to consult someone who knows what to do - rather than to try to keep and raise wild animals - Hearts and love are great but if you don't know what your doing wrong the Animal pays a price. Sigh. Hard lesson to learn.



 

[Deenie]

This is why I don't make dinner!!   

Tonight I made chicken piccata and angel hair pasta and PT is already asleep on the couch.  That's it, I am starving him for now on!   

Sounds fair.

    Thank you!!   

Mytime Welcome Back ... How is your Daughter? is she having a Good Time ?

[Babybear]

Babybear I love your Raccoon Story - AWE.

I have never befriended Raccoons before. I did .. CBB dont be upset.. took care of a Possum that lived in my Wood pile behind my house when I was a teen. She lived in the wood pile for our fireplace. My Dad had it converted to gas and left the wood - I think because he knew she lived in the wood. She was a happy Possum and I would hand feed her Apples and basically anything..she would take it right from my hand.
She would sit on top the ledge which was directly at my shoulder ..so we were pretty much Eye to eye.  She was my Possum for 3 yrs and then she just went Poof. My Dad then emptied the wood pile and we found her. She died. Poor Baby.
Then one year I was my friend on her boat. We were getting it ready to use after a long winter. Was a small little boat. And OMGoodness we scared a Momma to death ..she had inside the boat all her babies. She was a Field Mouse bigger though of sorts .. Not a Rat. Mom jumped overboard and left 6 itty bitty babies ..in the boat. We waited and Mom never came back. So I fostered the Babies for 3 days. I fed them with kitten formula and rice cereal and I kept them warm. They opened their eyes and I was obsessed with them. I had to go back to work so I could not feed them every few hours and I took them to the Human Society. I called first and they said YES we will take them.
Then my BF years later he was cutting/trimming his trees and OMG he on total accident Killed a Mamma Squirrel. omg He bawled his head off. He though found himself a Squirrel Daddy. He all these babies and No Mamma. He did everything for them. He kept them in his pole barn and even slept with them the first few nights. He fed them and did everything He could think of. They started to Gain hair and opened their eyes and one by one they died. He was devastated.  We didn't know at the time to stimulate their bums to make them poop so they were backing up inside everything they ate and it became toxic.
I can totally relate though of falling head over heels for wild Animal Babies. I know now though its best to consult someone who knows what to do - rather than to try to keep and raise wild animals - Hearts and love are great but if you don't know what your doing wrong the Animal pays a price. Sigh. Hard lesson to learn.



 

Yes, it is a hard lesson to learn.  I knew about the bum business though I didn't have to do it with the raccoons.  My niece had some kittens whose mother had died and she had to do that.  People sometimes tell me I like dogs more than people, and actually in many cases, I do. 

I didn't exactly have a possum as a pet, but I did feed one at my back door every night a few years ago.  We had a deal.  If he would stay out of my garbage, I would leave dog food out for him.  Well, not exactly.  I left food for him and he came in every night and ate it, but I got a new garbage can with a locking lid.  LOL  It was funny, though. He came every night about 1 AM.  Oh yeah, that's morning, isn't it? But he did come to eat regularly.

[Deenie]

Babybear Its ok to admit you like Dogs more than People... Your not the first nor the last.

I can totally understand why and how  that others have said that of you .. Its Good.

I am a huge animal lover myself. I have now a small camp. I have only 2 cats, 9 and almost 11 and One Puppy ( just turned One - that is my Deenie) and then I have a 12 yr old goldfish.
I did have at one time .. funny too it was when I was at my lowest income.
I had 3 birds,two keets, one cockatiel, two goldfish, a Rabbit, a Guinea Pig and OH my oldest cat was just a kitten ....

And I lived in an Apt .. they were all Loved ..at the time my Daughter was in Grade school too. She loved everybody and cared for them as well. My Guinea Izzy lived to be 11 yrs old. She was my baby girl. My BunBun " rabbit" I had to give up, because she was eating my apt when I did let her out. She was a very good girl though, but she loved Cords, lamps, tv's, vacuum .. so I gave her to my bf of 23 yrs's sister who lived on a farm. BunBun went to the care of her 13 yr old Daughter who had a male bunny that was treated like a King. Yet he felt he was not a rabbit at all. He thought he was a Duck.  He was raised with baby ducks and so he felt he was just that .. A duck. lol. So as long as I knew that BunBun was in good care .. I was able to let her go. I felt that she was in prison in my apt and that was painful.

[Bearlyhere]

So, we let criminals out too soon and keep people who have committed no crime locked up for years, what is wrong with this picture?

 

http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/07/29/nj-settlement/4342/

Hundreds To Leave Psychiatric Hospitals For Community Living
By Michelle Diament
July 29, 2009

Hundreds will be released from New Jersey psychiatric hospitals to live independently in the community — in many cases years after they should have been — under a settlement agreement reached Wednesday.

The agreement settles a 2005 lawsuit brought on behalf of nearly 1,000 hospital residents who were cleared for release but remained in institutional settings because state officials said there were no appropriate services available for them in the community.

Attorneys for the residents argued that the state was lax in developing housing and in the meantime unnecessarily kept residents in psychiatric hospitals in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. LC and EW. In that decision, the court said that states have an obligation to give people with disabilities the option to receive care in a community setting, where medically possible.

Under the settlement agreement reached this week, New Jersey agreed to a five-year plan to provide community housing for 297 residents who have been ready to leave the hospitals since before July 1, 2008. The state will also create more than 1,000 new housing opportunities by 2014 for other remaining hospital residents.

That’s welcome news to residents, many of whom were ready for discharge within days or weeks, but remained hospitalized for years at great expense to the state.  Psychiatric hospitalization costs about $220,000 a year, while community living typically runs less than $40,000 annually, advocates say.

“The longer someone is kept in an institution unnecessarily, the greater the risk of abuse and neglect. In order to promote wellness and recovery, it is important to return these individuals to the community at the earliest opportunity,” said Joe Young, executive director of Disability Rights New Jersey, which represented the residents along with the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law.

<snip>
Copyright © 2009 Disability Scoop, LLC. All Rights Reserved. For reprints and permissions click here.

[Bearlyhere]

This is why I don't make dinner!!   

Tonight I made chicken piccata and angel hair pasta and PT is already asleep on the couch.  That's it, I am starving him for now on!   

MT, you have been starving him for years now, check him for a pulse.

 

[marymary]

Wow, I see we have a full house here.  (not)  On the subject of animals my last pet was a green iguana that my son brought home.  When my son moved out wouldn't you know it he forgot the iguana.  At one point Iggy got very sick and almost died, I nursed him back to health.  Kept him a few years until he got really aggressive.  It reached the point I was afraid to go in my bathroom that he was occupying.  I love animals but they are too expensive and can do a number on ones abode.  I guess if I had my own home I would consider a little well trained doggie.   

Hi Monkeys!!!

[Deenie]

This is why I don't make dinner!!   

Tonight I made chicken piccata and angel hair pasta and PT is already asleep on the couch.  That's it, I am starving him for now on!   

MT, you have been starving him for years now, check him for a pulse.

 

LOL too funny Ms Bearly

[Deenie]

Wow, I see we have a full house here.  (not)  On the subject of animals my last pet was a green iguana that my son brought home.  When my son moved out wouldn't you know it he forgot the iguana.  At one point Iggy got very sick and almost died, I nursed him back to health.  Kept him a few years until he got really aggressive.  It reached the point I was afraid to go in my bathroom that he was occupying.  I love animals but they are too expensive and can do a number on ones abode.  I guess if I had my own home I would consider a little well trained doggie.   

Hi Monkeys!!!

HI Ms Mary ... So glad to See You 

[mytime]

Wow, I see we have a full house here.  (not)  On the subject of animals my last pet was a green iguana that my son brought home.  When my son moved out wouldn't you know it he forgot the iguana.  At one point Iggy got very sick and almost died, I nursed him back to health.  Kept him a few years until he got really aggressive.  It reached the point I was afraid to go in my bathroom that he was occupying.  I love animals but they are too expensive and can do a number on ones abode.  I guess if I had my own home I would consider a little well trained doggie.   

Hi Monkeys!!!

Hi MM, Bearly and Deenie!!