Wild (???) Raccoons and Tyler, Texas
I spent my weekend at Tyler State Park. I spent MOST of the weekend avoiding the fish and floating on a float in the swimming area (just fyi, snapping turtles really like to frequent the swimming area in the mornings before most of the people arrive). The lake levels were (not surprisingly) very high. The dock featured in this picture is usually about three-four feet out of the water and there are steps that lead down into the water, and this is a month after the daily rain we had been getting! The one thing I always remember when I go to Tyler are the raccoons! When I was younger we used to tent camp at Tyler (now we usually stay in the shelters, which
are just concrete slabs with wooden walls, but we don't have to pitch a tent). So pre-shelter days when our coolers stayed outside, the racoons got into them a couple of times-they ate a steak dinner, ran off with a bag of m&ms and we used to listen for the trash can lids clattering because it was a nightly hobby we could count on at the park. Last year the raccoons climbed the tree to a trash bag, so this year we got smart and threw our trash away before going to bed, but as we were sitting at the picnic table last night chatting this little one walked right up....it was begging for marshmallows....literally it stood on it's hind legs at one point and walked too close for comfort! I was just glad it posed for about 8 pictures before I finally ran inside the cabin worried the friendly animal would ask to go home with me, or at least want to snuggle up with me throughout the evening.
I spent my weekend at Tyler State Park. I spent MOST of the weekend avoiding the fish and floating on a float in the swimming area (just fyi, snapping turtles really like to frequent the swimming area in the mornings before most of the people arrive). The lake levels were (not surprisingly) very high. The dock featured in this picture is usually about three-four feet out of the water and there are steps that lead down into the water, and this is a month after the daily rain we had been getting! The one thing I always remember when I go to Tyler are the raccoons! When I was younger we used to tent camp at Tyler (now we usually stay in the shelters, which
are just concrete slabs with wooden walls, but we don't have to pitch a tent). So pre-shelter days when our coolers stayed outside, the racoons got into them a couple of times-they ate a steak dinner, ran off with a bag of m&ms and we used to listen for the trash can lids clattering because it was a nightly hobby we could count on at the park. Last year the raccoons climbed the tree to a trash bag, so this year we got smart and threw our trash away before going to bed, but as we were sitting at the picnic table last night chatting this little one walked right up....it was begging for marshmallows....literally it stood on it's hind legs at one point and walked too close for comfort! I was just glad it posed for about 8 pictures before I finally ran inside the cabin worried the friendly animal would ask to go home with me, or at least want to snuggle up with me throughout the evening.
1 comment
I know everyone cursed raccoons but I think they are adorable [from a distance!]
Cheers
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