Things that go bump, clang, bang, crackle, crawl in the night!?! Last night, in the pitch black dead of night I heard some noises coming from the kitchen. In my half awake state I snapped my fingers a few times from my bed thinking it must be a cat and then tried to fall back to sleep. Then more slams, cups dropping, pots & pans banging, jumping sounds ... it was getting downright rowdy up in der'! I got up
without my flashlight and walked through the blackness to the sink where the sounds came from, sticking my face like 5 inches from the pile of dishes. I could feel the presence of something in the sink, and could almost make out a shape but there was no movement or response, so I went to a switch and clicked on the light. WAMMO! I got a new wittle yittle buddy - an opossum crawled out the sink and onto the stove.
I carefully made my way back to my bedroom to grab my camera, came back to the stove which then made the 'possum a little nervous so it crawled to the open window for safety. SO KEYyyy-ute! And so small, barely even a possum teenager. The thing about opossums that most people don't know are they are not gross or bad creatures, they generally think things through and tend to not attack. They are not a common carrier of rabies and their special job in the eco system is garbage pick up! They are the ones that keep shit clean, ya'll- by eating everything left behind. I WUve opossums so much, I hope my new friend comes back and we can be cool with each other, in that snugly way. I asked it to please just not make so much noise and it could stay, I think it was a good deal. I went ahead and turned out the light and went back to sleep.
They have the prettiest ears of most any animal I have ever seen, and also amazing grip.
XoXOOOXOoxooxoxo LOves, hugs, loves for baby animals!
Things that go bump, clang, bang, crackle, crawl in the night!?! Last night, in the pitch black dead of night I heard some noises coming from the kitchen. In my half awake state I snapped my fingers a few times from my bed thinking it must be a cat and then tried to fall back to sleep. Then more slams, cups dropping, pots & pans banging, jumping sounds ... it was getting downright rowdy up in der'! I got up without my flashlight and walked through the blackness to the sink where the sounds came from, sticking my face like 5 inches from the pile of dishes. I could feel the presence of something in the sink, and could almost make out a shape but there was no movement or response, so I went to a switch and clicked on the light. WAMMO! I got a new wittle yittle buddy - an opossum crawled out the sink and onto the stove.
I carefully made my way back to my bedroom to grab my camera, came back to the stove which then made the 'possum a little nervous so it crawled to the open window for safety. SO KEYyyy-ute! And so small, barely even a possum teenager. The thing about opossums that most people don't know are they are not gross or bad creatures, they generally think things through and tend to not attack. They are not a common carrier of rabies and their special job in the eco system is garbage pick up! They are the ones that keep shit clean, ya'll- by eating everything left behind. I WUve opossums so much, I hope my new friend comes back and we can be cool with each other, in that snugly way. I asked it to please just not make so much noise and it could stay, I think it was a good deal. I went ahead and turned out the light and went back to sleep.
They have the prettiest ears of most any animal I have ever seen, and also amazing grip.
XoXOOOXOoxooxoxo LOves, hugs, loves for baby animals!
http://oko-organic-clothing.blogspot.com/2009/04/baby-opossum-awwww.html
ReplyDeleteCould it be the same little 'possum as the baby back in april? It has similar ear markings... Does anyone out there know what their growth rate is?
http://www.opossumsocietyus.org/opossum_reproduction_and_life_cycle.htm
ReplyDeleteFascinating life cycle... at birth 20 of them could fit into a teaspoon!
Thanks Gratuitous for that link - that tiniest one was toooo cute. All of them are too cute.
ReplyDeleteI still can't figure out how fast they grow after leaving them mother - i want to see a chart with 'possum growth, like every six months till full size.
That one I wrote about here came back last night, but didn't like the light from my crank lantern - i guess we can only be friends in the dark.
The same exact thing just happened to me last night! Only, the possum broke in through the window screen - actually peeled it away from the window. My husband had to guide it carefully back out the window. I have a huge mess to clean up this morning, broken glass and all.
ReplyDeleteHey Stephanie!
ReplyDeleteThis opossum re-arranged the kitchen the first night, now that it has it just so, it just comes in and eats cat food or whatever and then leaves! It actually came in my bedroom two nights ago- it should come snuggle up with me my cat Toots.
By the way, I am more fascinated than ever by your blog now that you're out in Big Sandy Mush. I dream about that kind of life but I have yet to get over my fear of pitch black darkness or my reliance on having neighbors within screaming distance. But someday, I really want a little handbuilt cabin in the woods.
ReplyDeleteYa know what's crazy- is I think you can hear a scream out here from much much further away- cause it's so quiet in general. Sounds travels strangely in the mountains too - sometimes from so far, sometimes stopped by a hill. You can always count on the neighbors being extra aware too of anything going on out of the ordinary, especially if they are bored ;)
ReplyDeleteBut it is pitch black... the darkest night I have ever seen - it's so dark it hurts my eyes to stay open and I have to just close them. I sleep with flashlight and lantern and a very large knife.