Return of the Banditos

Our rascally raccoon family has returned, and they're getting fat and sassy on the cat food we store on the porch.

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They came back a few weeks ago, but I've mostly been able to ignore them. Until last night.
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At 3:30 this morning I awakened to the sound of many heavy footsteps racing across the roof. They are chubby little critters. If I'm not mistaken, the two adolescents were wrestling directly over my head.

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I tried to go back to sleep, but my brand-new dolphin wind chime suddenly began ringing insistently. It went on for 5 minutes before I realized only 1 of my 7 chimes was ringing. The wind does not ring one chime and ignore the others!

I got up and peeked out the kitchen window. There was one of the young raccoons sitting on his haunches with the dangling dolphin between his tiny paws, batting it back and forth to make the chimes ring.

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At this time, Mama Raccoon decided it was time to go. She jumped from the rail to the nearest tree and chittered to her babies to follow, but they hesitated. It looked like they were afraid to jump.

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To help nudge them, I jiggled the doorknob loudly and opened the door noisily. Diego burst onto the porch, ready to make raccoon stew.
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The babies hadn't jumped. One huddled on the rail while the other hid inside a hole in the bench. He peeped out now and then to look around (top picture).

He came out and joined his brother while Diego was out in the yard barking at their mom in the tree.

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When Diego returned to the porch and saw the youngsters, the crazed snarling and snapping of all parties began, but I quickly called off Diego and brought him inside.

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Once the door closed, the young ones decided they'd had enough excitement for one night. They made their way to Mama's tree, where she'd been been crying for them all along.

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That was enough excitement for me, too. I turned off the porch light, locked the door, and returned to my bed for 2 more hours of sweet slumber. I hope Mama and the boys were able to do the same.