As the sun sets over Brighton, a guy can get hungry. It’s time to fill the belly on an adventurous progressive dinner at the trash barrels along the millpond trail. It’s especially satisfying when a cold front kepts the temperatures in the mid-40s so all of the discards are properly refrigerated. This yearling raccoon allowed me to join him. After rumaging, he’d pop up with a piece of pizza and stare at me while he chomped. There was no clever repartee and his etiquette is, well, boarish. He chews with his mouth open. Still, he was good company.
somehow the sight of this little fellow in the trash can brings back the cold weather aromas of detroit …. my flatmate used to burn the paper rubbish each week in a similar metal brazier in our back yard!
Wonderful! He’s enjoying his supper and providing entertainment too!!! Love that satisfied expression 4th picture into the slide show.
@Christine: I remember the days when everyone burned their own trash in Detroit. My family had a 4′ tall wire basket for that task. The barrels at the millpond are very well made and I’m sure the flair at the top was designed to keep out the critters. As you can see, it doesn’t work. :-)
@Wayside Artist: Nanina, you note my favorite picture in the group. Unfortunately, that one is the blurriest in the bunch! Sigh. My camera was on automatic. It misread the distance to the raccoon on that one. Notice how the rim of the barrel is in perfect focus beyond the bandit. It’s the perfect pose and I hope I have another chance to photograph him doing the same thing this summer.
[...] young raccoon I watched rumaging through trash cans a week ago, has appeared two more evenings this past week. Last night, I found him near Main Street [...]