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The post-coronavirus pandemic home will have more walls, more porches, more flex rooms and dedicated office areas, plus tiny houses for mom and dad

Your home has been called upon to play many different roles during the past few months of the coronavirus pandemic. Its been an office, schoolhouse, videoconference room, home gym and more.

Often, however, its performance has been lacking, thanks to slow internet service, uncomfortable seating and uncooperative co-workers (i.e. noisy children).

After spending so much time indoors during the pandemic, many people may want to upgrade their living space by rethinking their homes layout. Others may want to renovate their homes to take advantage of outdoor space or move to a new home that does.

Making these kinds of changes is a long, slow process, said Adam Reed, vice president at Ford Powell & Carson Architects & Planners. Were still in the midst of pandemic, so its too soon to know exactly what changes well see yet.

In recent years, the open floor plan, where the kitchen, dining room, living room and den were one uninterrupted, wall-free space, has been falling out of favor. The pandemic may hasten that trend.

In a home with two adults, several school-age children and, as has become commonplace, a boomerang adult child or two all living under one roof, finding someplace private to work has become important.

Many families may need several discrete places to work, architect Stephanie Eugster said. Its lovely that you get to spend most of the day with your family, but everyone needs a place for themselves.

While it is possible to build walls and hang doors to partition off spaces, Eugster said she doesnt see that happening very widely. Instead, the flex room may be the answer. A concept borrowed from office buildings, these are rooms that, with little effort, can be customized to serve multiple purposes.

On ExpressNews.com: The coronavirus will change office design, bringing back cubicles and nixing break rooms

For example, the dining room, long on the outs in new builds, may make a comeback, serving as a workspace during the week and a place to entertain guests when home entertaining becomes a thing again. Or a home office located in a repurposed bedroom might be furnished with an easy-to-move desk so it can quickly be converted back to a bedroom for weekend guests.

With so many people living together, there may be a boom in soundproofing curtains, second walls, composite materials so mom or dad can take a Zoom meeting or conference call while young children are running around, predicted Kathryn ORourke, associate professor of art history at Trinity University.

She also speculated about new housing arrangements to provide a separate space for aging parents or adult children who have lost their jobs. These include more tiny houses or even shipping containers in suburban backyards. She also foresees more houses with wings that can be occupied semiprivately, while still connected to a common kitchen or dining area.

People may be rethinking domesticity in really interesting ways because of this pandemic, she said.

While its still early to know how, or even if, the pandemic will change what homebuyers look for in a new home, Kim Bragman said shes already seeing an uptick in interest in one area.

Couples who both work from home want dedicated office space, said Bragman, the chairwoman of the San Antonio Board of Realtors. Or at least an extra bedroom they can convert into an office.

COVID-19 fears also may result in a shift in the definition of luxury, according to Reed.

It might not mean installing the most beautiful of faucets in the master bath anymore, he said. Instead it might be a touchless faucet with a built-in filtration system.

This wont be the first time a disease has triggered substantial changes in residential architecture.

The tuberculosis epidemic of the 19th century and the 1918 influenza both spurred the creation of large sanatoria open to the outdoors so patients could get plenty of fresh air and sunlight, thought to be key to a patients recovery, ORourke said.

This open-air concept eventually spilled over into residential architecture.

You can see it in those large front porches built into so many homes from that time, she said.

Front porches have long been out of favor with developers. Few homes built since the 1950s have them. But the pandemic may change that as many people rediscover the simple joys of sitting on their porch, watching the world go by.

On ExpressNews.com: The secret pleasures of under-the-radar chats during Zoom video conference calls

After youve been living in your home or apartment for so many weeks, you appreciate being outdoors, even if its only sitting on a porch waving to your neighbors as they walk by on the street, said Ted Flato, partner at Lake | Flato Architects. Its an easy way to add more living space to your home.

Adding a porch to an existing home is simpler and less expensive than adding a heated and air-conditioned extension, such as a bedroom or den. The website Homeadvisors.com, which matches homeowners with contractors, estimates that a 200-square-foot covered porch will cost between $4,600 to $22,000, or an average of $10,500. That works out to $23 to $110 per square foot.

At the beginning of the pandemic, many people sent home to work plopped a computer onto their kitchen or dining room table and declared it an office. But those wholl be working from home for the foreseeable future may want to up their internet game.

Perhaps the best way to do this is to wire the home with Category 5, or Cat 5, cables. These are low-voltage wires that can be run through the walls, the attic or even the subflooring. They connect the router to the devices plugged into the network so you dont have to use Wi-Fi. The connection provides a faster, steadier and more secure signal, so colleagues will be less likely to freeze up during your next Zoom conference.

Weve been seeing a lot more new houses built with Cat 5 in recent years, said Irby Hightower, a senior principal at Alamo Architects, and homeowners are also installing the cables in existing homes.

Cat 5 also makes it easier to install and operate smart home devices that can be controlled over the internet, such as security cameras, lighting and door locks.

As more people work from home, this kind of technology will become a lot more prominent, Hightower said.

Multifamily apartments will pose their own challenges to post-pandemic architecture, said Rick Lewis, assistant professor in practice at the University of Texas at San Antonios College of Architecture, Construction and Planning.

You have between 300 and 500 people living in the kind of developments that have been going up in San Antonio over the past 10 years or so, he said. Social distancing is much harder here, especially in the public spaces.

Lewis said he foresees changes to building codes requiring an enlargement of so-called pinch points where people come in close contact to one another. These include mail areas, hallways and elevator waiting areas. He also said amenities such as party rooms, weight rooms and swimming pools may get smaller or even disappear if residents remain uncomfortable using them.

Therell be a lot of conversation about things like this among architects, urban planners and politicians in the coming years, he said.

Not everyone is convinced the pandemic will result in structural changes in residential architecture.

Weve had viruses in the past and, yes, this one is deeper, longer and with more consequences, architect Paul Franklin said. But Im not anticipating any permanent changes per se. I think this is largely a one-off thing.

And while home shoppers may be looking for different features today than they were four months ago, Bragman said that for most, their bottom line remains the same.

Until I see otherwise, todays buyers are looking for schools and amenities, same as they always have, she said.

rmarini@express-news.net

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The post-coronavirus pandemic home will have more walls, more porches, more flex rooms and dedicated office areas, plus tiny houses for mom and dad -...

The weather is great and everyone is outside, but you cant interact like you used to do because of the pandemic and the government-recommended six-foot social distancing rule. But luckily, that rule doesnt mean you have to be socially distant and you can still interact with people as long as youre smart, aware, and give each other some space. Like interacting with an ex-lover or estranged family member. Enter the porch.

Porches are great, theyre public and private at the same time, inside and outside. IF eyes are the window to your soul, porches are the windows to our homes well, windows are the windows, but you get my meaning.

Porches are a silent hero in our neighborhoods during the pandemic as they allow us to interact with passerby without putting ourselves at risk in the street. They operate as a soft edge, or membrane between individuals and the community in which they live and should be celebrated.

The folks over at The Musicant Group (Website) in St. Paul, Minnesota, have come up with a step-by-step process to transform porches and front yards into places that make your community feel more alive. People are converting their boring swaths of manicured grass into more dynamic places that can facilitate safe, neighborly interactions and we cant think of a better time for that to happen than right now.

Click HERE for a Pinterest Board full of fun and amazing ideas to activate your front yards.

It also happens to be Global Porch Placemaking Week from May 30-June 5, and before you yell at us that thats not even a thing, click HERE. Its a self-organized event that encourages people to activate their front yards, porches, or even stoops, with a fun project and to add it to a special Porch Placemaking map. Get some inspiration via their Facebook page HERE.

Continued here:
Stay connected with a friendly front yard - bungalower - Bungalower

BATON ROUGE - One local jazz band is shaking off the rust from the stay-at-home order in a unique way.

Since the band members havent been able to play together in the past two months, The Jazz Souls have started playing, what they call, 'front porch sessions' in the Poets Corner neighborhood of Baton Rouge.

Were the type of people that if were not playing, you get this itch. Its nice to be able to scratch it, upright bass player David Randall said.

That itch had been building for weeks for Randall and the other three members of the band.

We play jazz standards, some might call us an American songbook band, drummer and founding member of the band Dale Harris said.

For two months, the group of 12 years had no gigs to play, and no practice sessions together.

So, we missed that during the outbreak. And Gary says... no, it was my idea. I said, let's get on our porch, thats enough social distancing. And let the neighbors listen if they want but lets practice. I really missed it, Randall said.

We sounded a lot better than we thought we would, having not played together for a while. We thought we were going to sound pretty terrible. But, I dont know, sounded pretty good. The people seem to enjoy it, Harris said.

Thursday night was only their third front porch gig on the corner of Homer and Pericles Street, but theyve already acquired some neighborhood fans.

It was quite a surprise the other day when about 10, 15 people showed up, and actually, threw money in the tip jar. It was sweet. We werent looking for that. Though we did put the tip jar out, Randall said.

Randall says theres a lot of noise surrounding our lives right now, but not the kind you tap your feet to.

We take the masks off when we play. I have it in my pocket, dear, I promise, Randall said, laughing.

Jokes aside, he says this time has given him a greater overall appreciation for his passion for music.

I didnt even realize how much live music there already was in Baton Rouge, and its gonna come back. Slowly, but surely, Randall said.

The Jazz Souls will be playing at least once a week either on Tuesdays or Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

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Local jazz band shaking off the rust with neighborhood front porch sessions - WBRZ

A new outdoor porch big enough for six socially-distanced picnic tables decked out in Red Arrow checkerboard style. Photo/Carol Robidoux

MANCHESTER, NH Theres something brewing at the Red Arrow Diner on Lowell Street besides coffee.

A new outdoor seating area that stretches the length of the diner is ready for customers, says Jayme Lemay, General Manager.

Now you can eat your Smokey Pig Breakfast Bowl with a mug of bacon while enjoying the sunshine and fresh air.

At first we were a little skeptical about it, but once we saw it, its pretty amazing, Lemay said. He really did a great job.

He is a reference to Brian Lawrence, brother of Carol Lawrence, the woman behind the citys most iconic eatery. The wood structure supports a sloping green vinyl topper, which appears to snap on. There are four tables under the enclosed area and two more out in the sunshine.

Its almost ready, Lemay said. Were going to have a fence around it here, and umbrellas are on the way for these two tables.

Diners wishing to sit and eat rather than grab and go can enter the diner and place their order, and let servers know theyre sticking around. Food will be served on the porch.

The picnic tables should provide about the same space if not more than the existing indoor tables, which is a win for eateries like the Red Arrow, where counter seating is the most popular option. During the states Stay Home 2.0 order indoor dining has been off-limits, but there was a return to outdoor dining on May 18. Restaurants are looking forward to the next phase which should include indoor dining at a reduced capacity.

The new rules of engagement or lack thereof has encouraged restaurant owners like Lawrence to get creative with use of available space.

It went up like magic, said a man named Charlie who was admiring the construction from across the street. He said he watched it go up.

It took like two days. And look how nice and straight it is, he said. This is going to be nice.

Continue reading here:
And like that, Red Arrow's new outdoor porch is ready for the return of restaurant dining - Manchester Ink Link

Jim Memmott Published 5:00 a.m. ET April 28, 2020 | Updated 9:40 a.m. ET April 28, 2020

A birdhouse showed up on the porch, unannounced.(Photo: Provided)

I hopped in my car, donned my mask and headed off as soon as I got the message.

There is a box of macarons on my porch, Anne Lutkus had texted me and a lot of other people. If you walk by, help yourself to celebrate my birthday.

When I arrived, I was relieved. There were macarons left.

Last year, when she turned 80, Anne had a party for herself, complete with fireworks. We sat on the porch of the Wadsworth Homestead in Geneseo and looked to the west as the rockets shot into the air, exploded, lit the ground below.

Jim Memmott in the County Legislature Building.(Photo: ANNETTE LEIN/staff file photo)

This year, given the fact that were all keeping away from each other because of the pandemic, there could be no fireworks, or even aparty. But there were macarons on Annes porch, there for the taking.

Porches used to be for sitting. Now theyre for drop-offs and pickups no-contact connections that make isolation tolerable.

As Ive written, our side porch is a jigsaw puzzle exchange station. Friends call, put an order in for a 500-piece, not-so-hard puzzle or a 1,000-piece head-scratcher. My wife, Cindy Schmitt, sets one out of the porch. Its gone; another puzzle is there in its place.

We have quite a few puzzles to lend, as a masked lady from Avon showed up after my column on jigsaw puzzles and left us 10 or so, just like that. We thanked her as she hustled back to her car.

The gift was prompted by a previous column about license-plate spotting.(Photo: Provided)

One afternoon, I looked out on the side porch and there was a birdhouse made of license plates. It was there, Im sure, in reaction to a column Id written on how, given constrictions on travel, Cindy and I missed looking for license plates from other states as we drive.

There was no note with the license-plate birdhouse, but From the shop of Ken Richardson was stamped on the post. Ken lives around the corner from us. I didnt know he made birdhouses. Now I do.

Other items show up on our porch. We open the door and see groceries, masks, books proof that we are not alone, that kindness continues, indeed flourishes, in times like this.

There can be no fireworks; there can be no parties. But there can be puzzles and birdhouses. And there can be macarons, right there on Annes porch. I took two.

More from Jim's series: The plan was to potty-train during the shutdown. What could go wrong?

A lilac tree brings memories of a relative she never got to meet

Old mail during this shutdown feels like time travel

From his home in Livingston County, retired senior editor Jim Memmott will document the new normal of living in a socially distant world. He can be reached at jmemmott@gannett.com or write Box 274, Geneseo, NY, 14454.

This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription.

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During the shutdown, porches fill up with pickups, drop-offs and kindness - Democrat & Chronicle

A white cabinet sits on the front porch of the Joseph L. Davis American Legion Post 47 in Havre de Grace, Md. It was placed there in March as a way to serve post and community members affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Post 47s Pantry on the Porch has kept a steady supply of non-perishable food and toiletry items for any community member in need. The pantry is self-service, open 24/7 and continually stocked thanks to donations, including monetary, from the community and Legion Family members.

Anybody can come in here and get food. We dont want anybody to go hungry during this coronavirus pandemic, said Alma Orive, post adjutant and Hartford County vice commander. People have sent a lot of thank you notes saying, We really appreciate having a food pantry here since we are short of cash right now.

Orive advertises about the food pantry almost daily on Post 47s Facebook page, including when food is running low and what items are specifically needed to be restocked. We appreciate all of the donations our community has made, she said. Pallets of food have been donated from the local Vintage Caf and radio station 104.7, while homemade soups with fresh vegetables are being canned and placed in the pantry thanks to a community member who donated four boxes of Mason jars. All thats asked of those who take soup is for the jars to be returned for reuse.

Paula Casagrande with Big House Signs created signs and stickers that said Together We Are Havre de Grace Strong. A portion of sales from the $5 apiece stickers support Post 47s food pantry. Casagrande sells the stickers at her store and people can drop a self-addressed stamped envelope in Post 47s mailbox for stickers to be sent to them. Orive said about $500 has been donated to the post from sticker sales.

The pantry has brought our community together even more, Orive said. We have a wonderful community here where everybody is pitching in and everybody is helping.

Orive also has been making masks that she places in the cabinet for taking. Shes made about 48 so far and they were gone immediately.

Besides feeding its community, Post 47 has been making Buddy Checks on its members. Orive created a flyer that was distributed to members through social media that read Because We Care About YOU and encouraged members needing any type of assistance, such as grocery shopping or transportation needs, to call the post. Orvie said even though the post is closed because of COVID-19, messages are checked regularly and phone calls returned.

Buddy Checks were divided into four lists: expired members, members with 40-plus continued membership years, Paid Up For Life members, and all others. Post Commander Mike Bush has made more than 325 calls to PUFL members and the all others list, and post member Bill Crouse has called expired members that resulted in about a third of them renewing. The members with 40-plus years are informed during the phone call that their membership dues are now paid for.

People are delighted to get the phone call and know that we care, Orive said. They have written back (on Facebook) thank you for caring. Thats important.

Orive said Post 47 has members across the United States in California, Florida, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Texas, etc., and that they are contributing donations to the pantry.

(The food pantry has) served its purpose. Its done a great job, its helped our community, she said.

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Maryland Post 47 feeds community with Pantry on the Porch - The American Legion

A Danville resident suffered injuries and a cat died in an early Wednesday morning house fire, the Danville Fire Department reports.

Police were first dispatched at about 2:15 a.m. to129 Nelson Ave. in the northern part of the city after someone heard a person screaming for help, according to news release byBrian K. Alderson, a battalion chief with the Danville Fire Department.

Police officers arrived and found the resident on the front porch "calling out for help," Anderson reported. Officers moved the occupant off the porch to a safer spot and checked the house but did not try to go in due to smoke and heat. That's when police called for the fire department to respond.

The occupant had burns to the hands, feet, chest and experienced smoke inhalation, according to Alderson. The resident was taken to Sovah Health-Danville for treatment.

Minutes later, firefighters arrived at the one-story home to find heavy smoke inside from fire in the living room, whichwas quickly extinguished. The occupant had told crews a cat was still inside. Firefighters searched and foundthe cat, brought it outside and startedresuscitation efforts, Anderson reported. However, the cat did not survive.

While the fire was contained to the living room, smoke and heat damaged the rest of the home. Repairs must be made before the home is livable again.

The cause was ruled to be careless smoking, Alderson reported.

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Danville officers find injured resident screaming for help on porch, pull to safety as fire burns inside; cat perishes in blaze - GoDanRiver.com

1. Who are the members of your small Covid-19 group?

Henry, Eileen, Peter, Andrew, James and our Sheltie, Lady.

2. Whats the most uplifting part of being isolated?

Spending quality time as a family, which we normally dont get to do as often due to all of our schedules. Also, being entertained by James.

3. Whats the most difficult part of being isolated?

Not seeing family and friends and not going to Mass.

4. Whats the most surprising thing youve discovered during these days of confinement?

James: That I can see my friends and my teacher on the computer!

5. Do you have a special project youre working on, if so, please describe.

Peter: I gave an online piano recital on Easter Sunday with works from Bach, Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Scarlatti and Debussy. I miss performing and I wanted to offer people this entertainment.

6. Whats your go-to meal these days?

Chef Enricos specialties of the day, many accompanied by pasta like agliolio, pasta e ceci and pesto and marinara from Fiore & Sons Farm.

7. Whats your favorite sweet treat?

James: Fudgsicles.

8. What mundane thing have you missed the most?

Peter: Driving to URI every day and being on campus.

9. Whats the first thing youll do when this is over?

Henry: I will bring my mother, Minnie, some squalatili from Ritaccos, go back to daily Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral during my lunch hour and have a Friday night game with Nat Sisco and our poker buddies.

Eileen: Have Chinese food and Dustys ice cream then go to TJ Maxx.

Peter: Play the organ and go to the beach.

Andrew: Watch a game and see friends.

James: Go to school again.

10. If you are participating in any distance schooling/games/activities with teachers/friends/family members, can you share a story about one experience?

Eileen: My Stonington Middle School administration has been incredibly supportive academically, technologically and emotionally throughout distance learning we are so fortunate to have them!

11. What are you doing to stay physically active?

Eileen: Working out downstairs in Hens Gym, walking outside, brothers basketball, wiffle ball and football, and James new little trampoline.

12. How are you staying connected with the outside world?

We all have continued our schoolwork and jobs online

13. What soothes you the most?

Henry: James Fiore and wearing comfortable clothes all day.

14. What music have you been listening to?

Andrew: Classic rock, Beatles, 60s,70s, 80s music.

15. What TV shows are you bingeing?

"The Good Doctor;" "Frasier;" "Seinfeld;" "Cheers;" :Shark Tank;" "90 Day Fianc" and during Lent we watched "Jesus of Nazareth."

16. Top take-out restaurant?

Haversham, Vocs and Supreme.

17. Biggest frustration?

Andrew: That there are no sports to watch.

18. Favorite board game?

Chess, Shut the Box, Scrabble, Scrabble Jr., Monopoly, Monopoly Jr.

19. How have you been changed by this experience?

Peter: I feel like I learned to accept reality.

20. What is your message of hope?

Trust in God. This will pass.

Interview arranged and edited by Nancy Burns-Fusaro. Photo by Harold Hanka.

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Front Porch Families: The Fiore Family | In the Easy Chair - The Westerly Sun

Anybody can elope to Vegas.

But it takes true love to elope on a front porch in Delco.

And so it was Friday night as neighbors looked on in their quarantine finest, and loved ones watched from miles away on Facebook that Joy Karsner married Brian Barton at their Springfield, Delaware County, home in a ceremony they dubbed Eloping in Quarantine.

The people of Ballymore Road came out with their babies and their beers, their dogs and their dancing shoes to groove on the sidewalk to the tunes of DJ Neeek Nyce and to celebrate the couple, true love, and finally having something to do on a Friday night.

I think its awesome theyre still celebrating all of lifes moments, said neighbor Devon Pasha, 35, who came to the wedding in her best Christmas leggings.

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Karsner and her three daughters walked down the driveway to an instrumental version of Penny Lane as Barton and his best pooch Maxine Tiggermush the bulldog anxiously awaited them on the porch.

The officiant, a friend of Karsners who was ordained online in five minutes this week, appeared via iPad and performed the ceremony over Zoom from her home in Rochester, N.Y.

At this time, we would like to honor those who could not be with us today, which is basically everyone, she said.

It was a far cry from the summer wedding at the Shore the couple had imagined, before the coronavirus hit and made everything unimaginable.

When the stay-at-home order began, Barton, 44, moved in with Karsner, 39, and her daughters so they could all quarantine together. Living together made Karsner want to get married as soon as possible to make it official for the family," she said.

The fact that Barton has spent the last six weeks sleeping on the couch with Maxine Tiggermush played a role, too.

Thats the real reason were getting married," he said.

The couple met online in the fall and took a train together to New York City for their first date. The connection was immediate.

Weve both been married before, and weve dated other people and we knew this was it, Karsner said. We know what we like, and we like each other.

So when Barton, a political science grad student and graduate teaching assistant at Temple University, proposed to Karsner at the top of the Art Museum steps in January with her daughters by their side, she didnt hesitate to say yes.

They talked about a wedding in Ocean City, N.J., and planned a honeymoon in Prague, but as everything began shutting down amid the coronavirus and Karsner was laid off from her job in nonprofit communications and marketing planning a traditional wedding became impossible.

As the sofa got smaller by the day and their love grew larger, they decided instead on a very nontraditional quarantine elopement, one they planned in the span of just eight days.

Karsners youngest daughter, Eva Drager, 9, served as flower girl, and her oldest, Alison Drager, 14, was her maid of honor. Karsners 11-year-old child asked that it say starring Katelyn Drager, as herself" in the official e-program.

The bride wore a navy blue sequin dress she rented online. Sheets of chiffon and white lights hugged the poles of the porch, and baskets of flowers hung overhead.

As more than 100 of their closest friends and family watched on Facebook Live, two dozen of their closest neighbors watched from the sidewalk or the porches of their own homes, cheering them on and dancing at all the right times.

Neighbor Jacqui Dieterle, 39, wore a brown silk formal dress to the ceremony, which she paired with a gray hoodie and a can of White Claw.

I used to not drink, but then quarantine happened, she said while dancing in the street. This wedding is great. We needed this.

Under a tent in the front lawn, the couple set up a wedding reception to go with tiny bottles of champagne and boxes of cupcakes for their guests.

Karsners mom, Nancy, who cried on Facebook Live while watching the couples first dance to the Carpenters Weve Only Just Begun, offered the first toast over video.

Id like to thank everyone for not coming to the wedding, she said.

The newlyweds had no big plans for a dinner, no buffet set up in the kitchen, just the Chick-fil-A the Karsner girls had requested and the wedding cake they got from Traubs Bakery in Prospect Park.

It was unclear if theyd share either with Maxine Tiggermush, who for the first time in weeks would find herself sleeping alone on the couch Friday night.

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With neighbors in driveways and friends and family on Facebook, this Delco couple elope on their front porch - The Philadelphia Inquirer

By Nick Sambides Jr., BDN Staff April 21, 2020 6:25 pm Updated: April 22, 2020 4:55 am

Friends were assessing how to fix a vent to Beth Parks Gouldsboro home on Sunday when they came across a surprise: baby raccoons huddled together beneath her deck.

A former wildlife biologist who now authors books, Parks said she immediately recognized the chirping and chittering sounds the four kits made. The tiny newborns they hadnt been born long enough for their eyes to open had no trouble at all being loud, she said.

They are the loudest little things and the noise they have coming from their little throats is absolutely earsplitting, Parks said Tuesday. People hear these things and they have absolutely no idea what they are. I just find it fascinating because they are so loud.

Parks caught the mother raccoon and Parks friends moved her brood to their Gouldsboro farm abutting several hundred acres of woods. The mother went into the Havahart Trap used to capture her, and the babies were placed in a bait bucket.

We have moved a lot of raccoons, and so have they, Parks said of her farmer friends on Tuesday. They are very familiar with how to do this safely.

People who lack extensive experience raising newborn wildlife should not do what Parks and the farmers did. They should call local animal control officers or nearby animal shelters, and have them do the transplanting, Parks said.

You have to know what youre doing, Parks said. If you transport coons or any other animals, they dont have shelter against the weather and they dont have protection against predation.

The mother gobbled down a can of cat food at the farm and immediately began nursing her young a sign that the human intervention hadnt broken the bond between them before the raccoon family was placed in a vacant lamb birthing shed, where they will be warm and safe until they are ready to live in the wild, Parks said.

These critters were the sweetest raccoons Ive had yet, Parks said in her Facebook posting, calling the experience a success all the way around. Happy homeowner, happy farmer, happy raccoons, no deaths.

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A Gouldsboro woman found these raccoon babies under her porch. And wow, are they loud. - Bangor Daily News