Valerie and Vicky, in Illinois, December, 1961.

One summer night in Lemont, I woke up sometime after midnight. Looking out our front picture window, I was admiring the peaceful scene when suddenly I saw a baby raccoon on our front porch. It was joined by two others and they were romping and playing to their heart's content. They had little black masks and bushy striped tails, and were soon running all about the yard, sidewalk, and deserted street. The street light gave good visibility but also added a dream-like color to the whole scene. By the time they ran across the street and were chasing each other in some trees under the light, I was out on the porch to better watch their antics. They continued their activity for at least ten more minutes before running across the yard and disappearing behind the houses.