For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Romans 8:19 NLT
One of the interesting things about living in the mountains is you never know who might show up in the neighborhood at any given time.
Raccoons can be found almost all over North America. They are extremely adaptable animals and can eat a large variety of food. In the wild they like wooded areas that have easy access to water and vegetation. Because they are so adaptable, they can also live in suburban areas as well.
These critters are also highly intelligent. They make their homes in hollow trees and abandoned burrows and usually have about 1 – 6 young ones (kits) in a litter in the spring – about April or May. The offspring will stick around their mothers for about a year, and mama is very protective of her young. An adult raccoon in the wild can grow to approximately twenty pounds.
Raccoons have remarkable dexterity. I’ve seen them flip their hind feet 180 degrees when hanging upside down. They can also turn door knobs, open bottles, and twist open latches. They are not the fastest animal on the planet, but fortunately for them they are good tree climbers, which can help them escape predators on the ground.
One of the biologists I used to work with had a raccoon as a pet. It seems some local farmers were harvesting their grain fields late one night when out of the shadows a small raccoon came racing up and grabbed a hold of one of the farmer’s pant legs. After recovering from being scared half to death, the farmer realized the little critter was just as frightened from all the bright lights and noisy machinery rumbling over the field.
The farmer took the young raccoon to the biologist, who somehow managed to raise it to adulthood. In the wild, raccoons usually live only a few years, but in captivity they can live up to twenty years old. Such was the case with this lucky fellow. By the time I met him, he was well cared for and had the run of the place. He was indeed a remarkable addition to the home of the biologist, who also had dogs and cats roaming about. Although I don’t recommend having a wild animal as a pet, (and there are many states that outlaw this activity), that particular raccoon happened to be in the right place at the right time. One of his activities was sitting on my shoulder (or on top of my head) and just peering about at the world around him. Perhaps he was looking for the future event talked about in the above Scripture.
Need to know how to be one of those children of God the Scripture in talking about? See Got God?
Hope you have a great day.