Ah...The Pause That Refreshes

I have heard that if your cat lays on his back, he is pretty comfortable and feeling safe. I hope that means that this little raccoon was feeling safe and serene for a bit, because it is a nerve wracking place sometimes when you are a raccoon. (And when you are not a raccoon too sometimes.)

Three of them were nibbling on seeds and greens, in our little backyard this morning. I could not quite tell if they were siblings or if it was one mother and two adolescent raccoons. They started to leave when I went out to water the plants, and I said "You can stay, that is for you anyway." So, they stayed for a long time and ate and had some water and actually played a bit. Then this one stretched out and relaxed.

Edit: I would never feed them by hand, nor get them too used to me, as that could endanger us both. If they become too used to people, they can get into all kinds of trouble and also, unlike the squirrels here, they do carry rabies at times.
These three were obviously healthy though.

I just allow whatever group is here to go right ahead and eat the seed. Sometimes it is raccoons, some times it's just squirrels and birds, sometimes oppossum and occasionally we see an armadillo, (but I'm not sure if they eat the seed or not). Our yard is fenced, but we've cut out squares for the dog to look out. Well, he never does, but other animals love them for coming in here apparently. The house is in an area which has pretty much infringed upon the life of a stream that hooks into the intra-coastal. The animals can still live in the stream area, which has been left untouched due to its sensitive ecological nature, but they have need of food and water too - since the sream is polluted.