Tell Us Your Story
Carolyn Hood

 

 

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The Raccoon Who Wanted to Be Our Pet

My husband Rodney and I were chaperoning a group of Franklin College Students on a trip to McCormick Creek State Park here in Indiana a while ago.  Most of the students had left in their cars, and Rodney and I were free to stay and enjoy the park on our own.  We had hiked from the Inn into the forest; we were sitting on a log, Rodney reading a book, and I was pencil-sketching, on a lovely warm Spring day.

A lone raccoon approached us, and walked right up to Rodney, climbed up on this lap, and fell asleep!  When we recovered from our surprise, I sketched the sleeping raccoon.  When it became very hot and heavy on his lap, Rodney gently picked it up and laid it on my lap, where it continued sleeping. 

When it was time to leave, we laid it on the ground, and began walking.  It scampered ahead of us, matching watching where we were going.  We all came to a stream, and it crossed the shallow water, getting its stomach wet . . . we crossed on stepping stones.  Soon it departed, and we went on home.

We all had lunch at the Inn.  Outside the dining room, the Inn staff had built a large tray-life shelf, for forest creatures to enjoy crusts of bread.  That was how we realized the raccoon had become so tame and friendly to the humans visiting there, one way anyway.

Over the years, we’ve enjoyed other Indiana State Parks, especially Turkey Run and Clifty Falls, with our young family.

-- Carolyn Hood