Possums

Many years ago, I was in the pet store, looking for some fish for our tank.  A couple came in with a tiny little creature no bigger than a field mouse.  The woman's father found them in his barn and was killing them.  She only rescued one.  She couldn't keep it and the pet store couldn't take wild animals, so guess who ended up with it?  Yep, I'm a sucker for a baby animal.  He was a real cutie.  Loved Oreo cookies.  

Possums grow pretty darn fast.  We kept him until it was no longer in his or our best interest.  Nor the best interest of our three small Chihuahua's.  Made arrangements with a wildlife rehabilitation facility and my Oldest Son was going to drive him out there.  Never made it.  That possum ended up living at my Dad's house, until he (Poss) died.  He was huge!  Not nearly as cute as when he was little.  In fact, he was downright scary looking.  He could hiss and scare the bejesus right out of you... Poss, not Dad... though he has been know to scare the crap out of me a time or two.  Here's a couple or three cute pictures of "Poss."

 

Recently, I was sitting at my computer in the sunroom and heard a ruckus in the backyard.  Got the flashlight and headed out.  When I first saw it, I thought it was a rat.  It wasn't, it was a young possum.  I had to take a picture.  I had to zoom in, in order to not scare him to death.  Here's a picture.

Today, I walked out back to see the smoke from a large fire, burning at a car dealership across town.  Glanced at the shallow end of the pool at what I assumed was a pile of leaves.  Normally, leaves collect in the deep end... I took a second look.  It wasn't leaves, it was a possum.  The wind was blowing the water so I couldn't get a very clear picture, but I took one, just the same.  Also took one as Hubby was getting him out.

 

  
Not sure if he froze to death or drowned when he couldn't find the stairs.  I hope he didn't suffer long.  He was large and past the cute stage, but didn't deserve to suffer.  None of us ugly creatures deserve to suffer.  Very glad he/she didn't have babies.  That would have been more than I could handle.