50 Comments
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Rajani Radhakrishnan's avatar

What an amazing picture!!!

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thanks, Rajani! Seeing this raccoon sleeping up in that tree made me smile.

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Juliet Wilson's avatar

Wonderful photo!

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thank you, Juliet! This was quite the treat to see and made me smile that morning. :)

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Hideko Pirie's avatar

No matter who/what you are when nature’s calling comes, you follow.

You have tremendous patience and take amazing photos.

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Michael's avatar

No matter where/when you are, it's always the same old fellow. It's always the one stainless place.

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Neil Barker's avatar

Wise words, Michael and thank you.

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Michael's avatar

Master Neil, I just keep saying the same thing over and over like one of those wind-up toy monkeys beating their drum. I could put even the raccoon to sleep with boredom. That's where the second stanza of your excellent sijo comes in.

Frost covers the thatch of the hermit's hut.

The white haired old gent dozes in the dark

Moonlight streams in the paneless window

With no door to knock- how to awaken him?

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thank you, Michael and appreciate this poem and the lingering question.

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thank you for the kind words, Hideko and very much appreciated. I was very fortunate to see this raccoon.

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Marisol Muñoz-Kiehne's avatar

Slumbering bandit

in full daylight, on warm morn.

Conscience must be clear!

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Neil Barker's avatar

Lovely haiku, Marisol and a most appropriate opening line. The slumbering bandit!

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Leah Rampy's avatar

Love this!

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Neil Barker's avatar

Such a great haiku from Marisol, Leah. :)

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Jeanne Malmgren's avatar

Perfect, Marisol!

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Neil Barker's avatar

Agreed, Jeanne - a most appropriate and perfect haiku from Marisol. :)

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Peter J. Ryan Sabom Nim's avatar

i have a sense now, after reading you for so long, of your paths that cross these other paths of other beings.

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thank you, Peter and very much appreciated.

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Marilyn Peterlin's avatar

I LOVE Raccoons! Your photos are brilliant!

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thank you, Marilyn and very much appreciated. Luck and timing with this encounter. :)

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Leah Rampy's avatar

This is terrific. It captures such feeling even in sleep. I relate!

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thanks, Leah and very much appreciated. :)

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Mary Hone's avatar

So cute!

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thank you, Mary and they looked so peaceful up there dozing. :)

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Mary Hone's avatar

Innocent sleep.

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James Freitas's avatar

We should all strive to be as comfortable, even just for a moment, as that raccoon appears to be in your photo.

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thanks, James and definitely a lot to be learned from this young raccoon, lazily dozing off up there. :)

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Janelle Hardacre's avatar

This picture! I bet your heart leapt when you saw this. A smile instantly appeared on my face at this wonderful image. Thanks for sharing it with us. This is how I hope to spend lots of the summer

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thanks, Janelle and very much appreciated! They certainly made me smile watching them dozing off up there in the tree. :)

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Jeanne Malmgren's avatar

AWWWWWW .......

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Neil Barker's avatar

Haha, they looked so peaceful up there, Jeanne - must have been a busy night. :)

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Ann Collins's avatar

The sweetness. 💛💛💛

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Neil Barker's avatar

Agree, Ann - they were dozing off up there and looked like they were in another world. :)

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Lindsay Hartley's avatar

Aw. Sweet. Looks like it could be a mamma? Rather prominent teats. Bet her babies kept her busy all night and she just collapsed on the branch once she got them tucked in.

There's a "racoon tree" at our local marsh that I always check. Years ago, before I ALWAYS packed a camera, there was a little baby one sleeping on a branch just above the trail. I still regret not having a camera on me!! It was just a little thing, and so cute and close. Haven't seen any little 'uns since.

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thanks, Lindsay and could be a mamma. The kits could be in that crevice of that pine. I've seen them pop there heads out of there fairly regularly.

I can sympathize with not having a camera or not being ready!

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Heidi Zawelevsky's avatar

Awesome shot, Neil! You know where to look for this apt image of total relaxation.

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thanks, Heidi! It has been a great experience hiking the same conservation area the past few years. I've really come to learn what I will see and where and when. This pine tree has been an excellent place for seeing raccoons.

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Heidi Zawelevsky's avatar

You've become a part of the conservation area! I thought of you the other day when I was driving in the mountains and saw a group of American Crows chasing after a Bald Eagle.

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Neil Barker's avatar

That sounds like an awesome sighting. I'm imagining the size difference between the Bald Eagle and the American Crows. :)

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Heidi Zawelevsky's avatar

They were all hard to miss! Kind of a surprise.:)

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Marc Mannheimer's avatar

It seems sleep is Universal. The deep state of humans, animals, the trees, mountains. Wonderful capture, Neil, words and photo.

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Neil Barker's avatar

Thank you, Marc and very much appreciated. This raccoon certainly appeared to be in that deeper universal state. Seeing them sleeping up there made me think of what adventures they had been on the previous night.

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Carole Roseland's avatar

He blends in so well with the tree!😊

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Neil Barker's avatar

You're right, Carole - quite the camouflage!

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