Last evening around twilight, I was really startled when a large animal passed within a foot or less of the glass in the sunroom. I jumped to my feet as it neared the screened door and Maggie was pressed nose against it barking. It was a raccoon as large as Maggie, if not bigger and it was not intimidated. It ambled down the parameter of the condos as confident as could be.

I had a family of raccoons living in a tree in my back yard for years. In all that time, I'd never seen them leave the tree during twilight although I had seen them perched on a limb far above where they could be reached. Occasionally, coming in late at nite, we'd catch a sight of one coming into the driveway as the headlights bounced off their eyes but they scurried quickly out of view.

The thought that might be a sick one was my immediate thought because of its behavior. This morning I had another thought..the time was when the nesting duck had taken off to feed or whatever else she did while gone..perhaps the raccoon was searching for an untended nest to feast on eggs hence its proximity to the foundation bushes of most of the condos.

Whatever the cause, taking the dog out after dark now has an added apprehension.