Shirley, Child of Rockie

I’ve written about Rocky, the first Raccoon to befriend us, many times.

What intrigues us is seeing behaviors pass down through generations.

Consider Shirley, one of our recent raccoon visitors. Except for the size difference (Rocky was a petite but brave and valiant girl), Shirley could be Rocky.

I remember feeding Rocky one Fall day long, long ago and realizing she’d not make it through Winter. Our raccoons are long-lived compared to others, and she had lived beyond even that.

I wished her well, a long sleep, asked her to wait for me on the other side.

I know she does.

I wept when she didn’t return the following Spring.

Indeed, I weep still.

Indeed, I looked up in the night sky of late, gazed upon Selene, The Moon, and my Brother Orion, and felt them pull me as they never had before.

I counted the lines on the Beautiful Selene’s face, observed the shortening of the Hunter’s stride, and realized I would be joining them soon.