Scoot is a TV star!

Animal Plant came to our house and shot video of  the Handwerkers, especially Scoot, for a segment on one of their shows.  Scooter will be the star of the bit.  It is for a show called "Bad Dog" that is about how we love our pets unconditionally, no matter what. He could not have been more cooperative!  When he came to realize that the cameraman  coming close meant that he'd get a treat, he was super easy to work with, and very agreeable. "Candy??!!  SURE! I'll do that! Play with ice cubes in my pool? Yep! Chase this fish? You got it!!!"   He was totally awesome  :)  More along the lines of "When Bad Pets go Good" than anything else.
      John, Robert, Mark, and I were each interviewed separately and the boys nailed it.  The field producer said that the boys were very articulate, and they were a pleasure to work with.  They went over some of the things Scooter has done, like trashing the bathroom, killing the Betta Fish, stuff like that.  Even Hula Girl got into the swing of it, chasing and catching the frisbee on camera like a champ.  There was even a shot where Scoot was at Hula's back, and while Hula was wagging her tail, Scooter was batting at her tail each time it bopped him in the face.  It was just one of those spontaneous things that you're glad to get on video.  Through most of the shoot, Scooter acted like he was a trained star, an old hat at hitting his mark.  The video and sound crew were true professionals.  They really had the patience of saints. While we were shooting my interview outside, there was a near steady rumble of thunder...with every 3rd or 4th word I'd get out they would have to stop me, "wait wait, thunder- let's try that again".  Then it was the lawn guys down the street with the weedeaters and blowers....then it was one airplane flying over after another.  Saints I tell you.
     It was a long but fun, satisfying day.  Scooter got the last word in, taking off under the ski dock after the candy ran out.  Typical.  
Post script:  the show aired on July 21.  We watched it with friends while we were in the Bahamas.  Scoot was a celebrity!

Spring Swimming! Yippee!

Mark was snorkeling in the canal the other day with our son Robert and they took Scoot swimming with them. He had a BLAST!!! He hung out underneath the dock checking the coral rock seawall for good stuff to eat. "scritch scratch" YUM. Mark brought Scoot a huge snail which he happily played with then tried to eat. He really didn't want to come back in when swimming time was over. Of course, I am the one who got to carry 30 some odd pounds of wet raccoon back to his cage.....figures.

whatcha dooooo-in?

Yesterday I decided to REALLY deep clean Scoot's cage. Over the past year or so, all of the dog and kid toys that Scooter has gotten a hold of have been transformed into itty bitty shreds of stuff. Like stuffed animals turn into little piles of stuffing. Rubber balls turn into eeny weenie bits of (usually neon blue) rubber. So, I decided that a good cleanup was in order. I wanted to put down all new pine bark as well. So I go into the cage and a groggy just-woke-up Scooter sticks his head out of his barrel. "What's all that racket??!! Oh! it's you - food lady! What do you have for ME?" "NOTHING?!! NOTHING?! Why I oughta......"
Well, you can just imagine how disapointed he was when he realized I had no treats. The nerve of some people! So he proceeds to shadow my every move. I mean, like REALLY shadow- in my face and underfoot. PITA. Now I am squatting down, leaning over trying to pick out all the bits of shredded stuff from around his cage and under his ramps and shelves. NOT a comfortable position...and then.....Scooter decides that a better vantage point for him would be ON MY BACK. As in - standing on my back - while I am squatting down. Now, I don't know about you, but I truly do not find 30+ lbs. of jiggly raccoon trying to balance on my back a comfortable sensation. Especially while I am squatting down...my muscles begin to complain...gym??!! I don't need no stinkin' gym! I have THE SCOOT!
nuff said. Sore muscles the next day.....

little poacher

We have been bringing Scoot inside for the past couple of nights due to the unreasonably cold weather here. He still makes his usual rounds. Tonight however, he hit the jackpot - big time! He had been in for about 10 minutes when he got to checking John's backpack ....and voila! a cereal bar score! Now, I know that is is totally unrealistic to expect to get back anything once Scoot has gotten hold of it, especially something sweet. However, I thought I might stand a chance this time since the cereal bar was still in its wrapper. No such luck. Walking into the dining room, where Scooter was hiding under the table, Hula surprised him and I heard a snarf that sounded very much like a pissed off grizzly bear. I yelled "HULA! Leave him alone!" Hula calmly ignored my protests and proceeded to harass the Scoot, who growled and snarfed throughout. Growlhisssnarfsnort After Scoot ate the cereal bar, he went back to John's backpack and woohoo! a half eaten bag of cheetos. "come to papa"......

SCOOTER! GET OUT OF THAT BACKPACK!!!
and again....

Time to go nite nite.
Brat.

missing!

Oh so much to tell after such a long absence! I will try to fill in all of the blanks another time, however. Sorry for being such a slacker.

Monday evening my son John went out to feed Scoot. He came back in and all was well with the world, chores all done....
Tuesday morning comes, and the chaos of getting the boys ready for school ensues. I let the dog, Hula, out to go potty first thing. She usually stays out until I am ready to leave to take the boys to school . So I am getting ready to leave, I go to let in the dog, and - lo and hehold -
SCOOT'S CAGE IS EMPTY!!!!! With the door wide open!!!! OMG! It feels as though that first stab of panic damn near brings a on a seizure. I tell the boys "we have to go now, I will look for him when I get back..." or else we were going to be late for school....
panicpanicpanic all the way to and from school...OMG scoot's gone...omg! whaddoI do??? omg!!! omg omgomgomg heart racing CRAP
I look all over the usual places....In the palms, under the Tiki bar, in the shed, under the RV, in the RV, under the neighbor's deck, OMG HE'S GONE.....feeling pure terror at what could happen to an un-street-savy coon...who is so tubby he cannot get out of his own way....dogscarsguns OMG! I am feeling like SUCH a horrible failure as a coon mom. How could I let this happen?!

Ok, now to get into gear... I can find him! I know I can!
First...tell all the neighbors to be on the lookout for the Scoot. check.
Second...make flyers and knock on every door on the canal, leave flyers at every house. check. Third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh -well, you get the idea - look in all the suspected hiding places. again. checkcheckcheck



I was so sad thinking of all the bad things that could happen to him, and I missed him terribly already...I thought for sure we were never going to see his face again. Mark calls throughout the day for updates, no news to give him.

After Mark comes home in the afternoon, he starts asking me where I've looked. "So, did you look under the tiki bar?" yes. "Did you look in the shed?"
yes. "Did you look in the cabinets in the bar?" cabinets? CABINETS?????? no, I didn't think of that one!
Marks walks out back to look in the cabinets, and comes back CARRYING SCOOTER!!!!! YAY! Found him! WooHoo!!! That coon was passed out in the liquer cabinet. He brings Scooter inside and I swear Scooter was smiling! He was SOSOSO happy to be in the house with his peeps. We were happy to have him back.
Now he is back to being the most spoiled raccoon in the world :)

window destroyer

Pleeeeeeeeease can I come in??? hmmmmm? I'm so cute and cuddly, you can't resist....

Hey!!! Wait for meeeeeee!

So, after comandeering the top of the kitchen cabinets, (for about 2 hours) The Scoot decides to come down....the hard way.....failing to realize that his considerable size (read : FAT) is more than the window curtain rod can take!

oops
almost.......there.........
streeeeeeeeeetch


Made it!

So long, SUCKER!!!!!

troublemaker.....

Scoot came in today to play. He made the usual rounds.

Dog food bowl....

OOOOOOO grilled chicken! YUM!

and the water bowl...

splash

After the food raid, he was REALLY amped up. Totally hyper. Ricocheting all over the place! He started climbing on everything, including things he KNOWS he's not supposed to climb on. "Damn the consequences, I AM CLIMBING ON THIS!"

Brat.

So he gets on the bookshelf with the empty 55 gallon fishtank on top of it and climbs up to the top of the shelf, trying to get up onto the top of the tank. Nope, that won't work....too fat.....HA! I laugh at him for being such a fatty.

and with an evil gleam in his eye, his expression seems to say "mwuhahahah you'll never catch me now sucker!"

brat.

who, meeeee????

coon under glass?


no.

fat butt!!! hahahahahaha!

ok, I'll come out now.

but only for food.

Aaaahhhhh....full tummy again. Muuuuuuuch better!