Thursday, April 16, 2009

Our Daily Wildlife

If you follow me on Facebook, you know that we've been having some odd wildlife encounters lately. To set the scene a bit, I need to say that we live on a rather busy street, across from a golf course and just 2 minutes from the closest Super Walmart. We're not exactly in the country. But I've been feeling lately like a country wife with a barn full of mice and a field full of critters.

It all started a couple of weeks ago when the cat found a little skink in our bedroom. You know, skinks are pretty cute outside hanging out on rocks, but frankly the thought of a skink scurrying around under my bed just disturbs me greatly.

A couple of days later, we looked out the back door and saw a headless squirrel: the first hunting trophy of our half-grown cat. That thing was nearly as big as the kitten himself! And about that same time, my friend Donna, while waiting for me in our driveway one afternoon, watched a 'possum climb a tree outside our kitchen window.

I have a thing about 'possums. I understand that I'm supposed to think they are cute. I've gone to all kinds of wildlife programs that include rescued 'possums and "aren't they just the cutest things?"

No. I cannot find even one thing that is cute about a 'possum. They look like big fat rats.

So a few days ago, as Laurel and I were finishing math, we looked out the door and saw our Mighty Hunter with a very large mouse in his mouth. Once he had our attention, he tossed it up in the air and caught it a few times, did a few victory somersaults with it, and then deposited it on the welcome mat. "That sure is a big mouse," said Laurel. I was thinking, "Gosh, that almost looks like rat, but not quite." Then it dawned on us: it was a baby 'possum!

We both screamed. I don't know why. I am the kind of person who screams at mice. I've even been known to stand on a chair and scream. I wish I could claim to be a snake-loving, rodent-loving woman, but I just can't help myself. I scream at dead baby 'possums. And then I wait for my husband to come home and take it off the welcome mat.

But we're not done with 'possums yet. Perhaps they aren't very bright critters, but this evening the dog began barking hysterically. Sure enough, out the back door was another baby 'possum, this one heading straight for the house. And then, of all things, the dang 'possum perches itself right at the dining room window, in the exact place that our cats sit when they want to come in the house. Can it not smell danger? Can it not smell all kinds of hungry non-woodland creatures just looking for sport?

It just sat there at the screen, looking at it with its beady black eyes. Looking almost cute. Until it started climbing up the screen. Do you see that tail and that twitchy nose? I'm quickly thinking: "Do we have any holes in the screen? Could this 'possum GET IN THE HOUSE?" I didn't scream screamed just a little. My daughter calmly grabbed the camera. She knows a blog-worthy moment.



Meanwhile, the Mighty Hunter waits.

10 comments:

  1. Smo is thinking "hmmm... tastes like chicken"

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  2. Yikes! I have to say that thoughts of a skink in my bedroom would probably keep me up at night. Luckily, it's too cold for them to live here :)

    I'm not a rodent/reptile/bug person either. My sister had a pet rat when I was a kid and I thought it was the creepiest thing.

    Of course, I ended up with a daughter that picks up frogs and snakes and bugs. Go figure. At least I have someone to help me out when my husband is gone!!

    Glad your window screens held up :)

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  3. for some reason, possum's totally make me scream as well ... and stand riveted to the spot. we had one in our yard a few years ago. like a giant R.O.U.S. sick.
    but sorry to say I think your skink is way better than kitten poop in the bedroom (I so wish I didn't have a reason to just write that)

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  4. I scream, too. I love the picture of your cat at the end licking his chops. He is ready and waiting.

    Looking at your blog header, I would have taken you for a woodland creature kind of gal based on the trees and such. I'm a city girl myself and don't love all the critters either.

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  5. I desperately needed to laugh and came to the right place! Thank you!

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  6. Baby opossums are so cute though! lol... My friend caught one in her yard and kept it there for a few days last year and we did a homeschool group study on them. They really are neat animals. Kinda dumb, but really neat.

    Great pics of your son going to prom!

    Val

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  7. I love the phrase "blog worthy moment"! How appropriate!

    (Thanks for the comment you left on my blog regarding depression & homeschooling.)

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  8. Wow. Possums by the kitchen window. And here I always thought they just hung out in bras on the clothesline.

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