As I was walking home from the gym just a short while ago, near the corner of Bellevue and John I saw a man standing on the sidewalk and staring intently into a gated apartment parking lot. When I reached him, I turned to see what he was looking at and saw … first one … then two … then three raccoons, all staring back just as intently at us. We all stood still for a few moments, just taking each other in, and then we humans continued on our way, leaving the raccoons to their own devices.

I know how vicious raccoons can be, but these guys were really sweet — although I still appreciated the sturdy gate between them and us. I’m sure they were just prowling around for a nice juicy dumpster to raid, but at the moment they looked a bit timid and confused by the gate. Sure wish I’d had my camera.

(My fears about being bitten by a rabid raccoon, which I acquired on the East Coast, appear to be unfounded in Washington state. While 9% of bats tested in Washington between 1960 and 1997 were rabid, no raccoons tested positive during this period. See: Clinical Assessment and Management of Potential Rabies Exposures in King County for further information.)

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5. Green Lake Sighting: