See this? See this guy/gal? The picture doesn't do this experience justice. I could throw a saddle on its back and take it down the street to pick up milk & eggs, it's so big. He/she has been hanging out in the backyard for the past two weeks. There are spotlights on out there til about 10:30pm. I was passing through the living room the other night, glanced in the direction of the window and saw this one strutting oh so casually through the backyard....just strolling along. I YELPED! It froze. We locked eyes:
"Hey Rita...r-e-l-a-x..." it looked to say. Then it gathered itself together, chest pushed out, and continued across the yard. A little more quickly. Now doing laps. Like it was participating in the Olympics. Back & forth. A little slow on the 4th lap....Seriously? I saw him/her again the next night...."Hi Rita!". Where do these things come from?!?! And where does it live during the day (horror!)? And hey - where ya headed at night? (Can I come? Just kidding!). When we first encountered one another I was exclaiming - "Is it a rat?? Is it a big fat water rat? A possum?? What in flippin' sam dam hill is it that thing???" And yes, my leg was going up & down, arms flailing. "Ewwwww..." This city girl was - is - skeeved. Yeah, I've seen this night critter and it's cousins before in my passing through this world, absolutely. But this go around made me ponder the very existence and its close proximity to the house. Um, to me. It's size, it's strength. Whoa - gives me chills just blogging about it!
So while the rest of the country - and perhaps world - this week is focused at night on Obama, I'll be hanging in the living room checking out Opossum!
6 comments:
Oh, Rita, I totally understand this. My skin gets "crawly" just looking at the picture on your blog! When I lived in Georgia, I startled one while I was coming into the side entrance of our house. The motion light came on and there we were about 5 feet apart and this one was the size of a medium dog (huge). It's eyes got big and it started to hiss while standing its ground. Who knew they hiss? I leapt like Superman (single bound) onto the picnic table. It circled me and hissed. I called out for help (as if I were being attacked by an axe murderer). It seemed like we were like that forever...and honestly, I thought it was going to attack me. Finally, my Dad opened the door and it ran off. I was traumatized! They're mean...stay clear! Fear of possum? It's a common fear...is too...is too.
ewww...they hiss? ick. when david and i briefly lived on a lake, we had a solid white one come up on the back deck and peer into the glass door, like he was watching our tv. the tail is what grosses me out - it's so...RATTY. i think i wouldn't get the skeeves if it weren't for that damned tail.
good luck with all that - if all else fails, call animal control.
when i was in high school i came home one night from "riding around" (our friday night activity) and there was an albino possum on our front porch. it was, to say the very least, HUGE. i wouldn't go inside even though, tick-tock, my curfew was approaching. i obviously didn't have a cell phone in those days and go around back, knock on the door and wake up my dad who had been waiting for me. it was so frightening to see that thing that i also screamed and wanted to run. it was bigger than a raccoon and i think it could've eaten me. i don't know where they come from but they are gross. just wait until denise reads this...man...does she have a GROSS story. seriously, i triggered my gag reflex when she told it to me. apparently these things are everywhere if we've all had encounters. maybe they are the real aliens. help! mulder!?!?!?! scully!?!?!?!
top this: i saw a possum in broad daylight when we lived downtown....sofia was a baby and from the window said "meow". i screamed "GUSTAVO THERE IS A BEAR OUTSIDE". gustavo goes out with a broom and scoots it outside the gate to the street. at closer look it had 8 babies on its back. out on the street a homeless woman was walking by and said to gustavo very calm and matter of fact, "wow that's a big one".
a couple of weeks later we found baby possums that had entered thru our dog door and were attached to our screen door.
a couple of months later, we eye-witnessed cinco (our dog) crunch one to death. he killed 3 while we lived downtown.
we now spent a lot of money to have an electronic dog door to eliminate the possibility of the rodent coming thru the dog door.
if i had to rank my fears, the #1 is fear of the rodent....#2 would be death of my children. you get my point.
told ya....
okay - that is TOTALLY gross...but the image i can't get out of my mind is Gustavo shooing and sweeping the thing out onto the street..for some reason that is cracking me up!
babies on the screen door is nasty...frankly - this whole post is nasty! Who blogged this anyway??? :)
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