I was out in the backyard racking leaves and heard a thump and a crash behind me. I turned around as something thrashing in a file of leaves next to the shed.
I approached, carefully, rake in hand and saw that it was a fat gray raccoon. It was lying on its back and it was twitching and thrashing. It had clearly fallen out of a tree, hit the roof of the shed, and then fell to the ground. I kept back and tried to figure out what to do.
If it was dying, should I help it along? It was hurt, did I have a way to help it?
I realized I was woefully unequipted to really do any good.
I stayed back and it finally settled down. It sat up a bit and we made eye contact and regarded each other.
I turned away and went back to work.
After a few minutes, I turned back and it was gone.
If it was hurt from the fall, it wasn’t badly. I thought it might have tried to go into the open door of the shed, but when I investigated it was empty.
It was a strange encounter.