Totally old & random but I was perusing through my photo files and realized that I didn’t share this. And since I am sitting here with a head cold and ATTEMPTING to finish one kick-butt home project post, I thought “Why not take a break and tell them my possum story?” You may be expecting something really funny…it’s not really funny. It’s just sortof random.
Over the summer (end of June I think), we were at my parent’s house and I looked out the window to see something moving. I have gosh awful eyes…I’m totally nearsighted, so the fact that I spotted something at all is quite extraordinary. So we went outside and someone was like “I think it’s a possum.” Of course, I got excited and grabbed my iPhone and decided that I would capture a photo of this critter.
Then I decided to get a closer look. Slowly I stepped one step closer. Then another. Then another.
My dad chose to follow close behind.
It’s moments like these that I wonder what neighbors think. There’s me, hunched over and stepping ever so slowly toward a wild animal holding my phone out with extended arms and then four steps behind me, my father looks like he’s about to take a swing at me with a broom. And the rest of my family is on the second story deck just watching silently. We are one odd ball bunch I tell ya.
I got really close before it hissed and wandered back into the woods. (yes, this was taken with an iPhone…so you know I had to be within striking distance)…
My dad said that I could get right up on it because they have horrible vision. That makes two of us.
I always wonder what would have happened if the thing attacked me. Like would Dad have beat the possum off my head like in The Office when Dwight captured that bat off Meredith and said “You’re welcome”? Would I have had enough mental aptitude to remember to run in a serpentine pattern if it started to run at me? How exactly do you kill a possum that is trying to go for the jugular?
And it’s moments like these that keep me up at night, laying in bed reviewing what I learned on Suvivorman.
haha oh man, you are braver than I!! I never would have gotten that close!
I’m lol-ing at the image of you and your dad.
I work for the family business which is in an industrial area of town. We all bring our dogs to work everyday & a few weeks back a possum showed up in our side lot. Well the dogs went nuts & attacked it. Our sweet as candy Red Nose pit bull brought the poor lifeless possum into my office and dropped it at my feet. I nearly jumped out of my skin. What a sweet present.
What the? Is THAT a possum in the U.S? That is a weird looking thing. The possums we have in Australia are little cuties pies. I wonder if they are even related.
Suzy xxx
is it bloody and beat up looking or is that just me?
Hey Katie! This was a cute story, I agree the image of your Dad & you conjours up some serious laughter. But, I have to say that the critter itself is not so Umm..cute? Here in Australia our Possums, even though still quite vicious are (in my opinion) much cuter in an “Aw lets admire the wildlife” kinda way. We have a few different varieties, including Common Possum, Ringtail Possum & the oh so cute little tiny Sugar Glider. Check pics here. (http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/possums.htm) I think it might be the rat-like tail that initially made my skin crawl, it’s not what I usually associate with “Possum”.
Reminds me of a funny story…
My Dad lives on a farm and would sometimes pet the cats on his way in and out of the barn. Yep, the story is going where you think it is…He accidentally pet a possum in the dark. That is one ugly animal!
Katie, Opossums are nocturnal, so if it was out in the day and it didn’t run away, there is a good chance it was rabid. I wouldn’t really advise not approaching any nocturnal animal such as an opossum or raccoon during the day.
UGH UGH EWWW! Possums gross me out more than any other creature or critter out there… something about their beady little (apparently blind) eyes.
and this is why i love reading your blog.
now i am picturing your dad and dwight schrute there in case of emergency opossum attack. =)
thanks for brigtening my day with your random but enjoyable story.
a
When I was young my dad rescued 2 baby opossums from their mother who had been hit by a car (yes, I live in Georgia). The first night we had them one almost drowned in the toilet and I remember my mom drying it off with the hair dryer. We named them Roger & Doger and kept them until they got big enough to climb up our chimney. At that point my dad set them loose in the woods behind our house.
I guess this is going to gross some people out, but we had a possum as a pet when I was a child. Here’s how it happened: one night a baby possum showed up in our back yard, which was bordered by woods. There was no mother in sight. My mother is a real animal lover, so she put on gloves and we scooted the possum into a box. We kept him for a couple of days, feeding him cat food. Then we decided to let him go. Every night after that, he showed up at our back door. So after a few nights, we decided to keep him. My dad built a cage for him that extended out our family room window. The possum roamed free in the house often, and we have pictures of it lined up with kittens at the food dish. Then one day when we were holding him, we found a pouch on his belly. So he was a she. We kept her for a couple of years, I think, and then released her way back in a woods away from the road. She was always very gentle–but of course, you should NEVER take in wild animals.
By the way, your possum looks like she could have been carrying a baby on her back.
By the way
ugh. possums are so UGLY! I am completely impressed you got so close. I had to go to outdoor school in 6th grade and they had a possum as a *pet* of sorts. I couldn’t get near it — just so gross! Thanks for the completely random post to start my saturday morning 🙂
Ha ha… totally random but you have this crazy family memory now! One night last summer we came home to a carrier pigeon in our driveway. He found a protected part of our roof where some eves met and spent the night there…. every night for half the summer. That was kinda cool!
Is that a possum?? Looks absolutely nothing like the ones we have in Australia. Ours are quite cute. Google ring tail possum…
I wonder if we have possums around where I live.
Anyway, I thought your story was funny. I actually chuckled near the end. 🙂
Katie Bower you crack me up! You are one brave soul!
Oh My God! that is one ugly possum. The common bushtail possum here in Australia is really cute (unless they are in your roof making a hell of a noise).
I would never had thought that creature was a possum unless you put that has your title.
Kelly
So that’s what they look like right side up! ;D
Wow, American possums are well different from our cute little Aussie ones…one could (and should) say they are fairly ugly! You are pretty gutsy going anywhere near that one i think….we sometimes hand feed the ones here.
LOL at your survivorman comment.
You have an insane number of Australian commenters today! Though, I suppose if I was expecting a cute little animal and saw a (American) possum I’d be spurred to comment too! 🙂
Interesting! We had a possum in our backyard this year as well (along with a raccoon, rabbit, skunk and a little turtle that found it’s way into my tiny water feature for day…the kids named him Shelly). I was shocked to see a possum in our area. We live down the street from the lake but the houses are so closed together in our area. Maybe it’s found it’s way under a neighbour’s shed. Gah!
I agree with Lindsay (And this is not he same Lindsay, just a different Lindsay)! I was really surprised by all of the Aussie commentors!!!
Actually it is a funny story to me b/c it reminds of a Saturday afternoon this Summer when a possum that had been hit by a car but survived tried to run into my and my sister’s bakery! We have floor to ceiling windows along the entire front so we think it just thought it could keep going straight! It was a bloody mess all over the concrete outside the store and on our window. It just kept trying to run thru the window. So. Awful. To make matters worse a news anchor was at our shop that day doing a story on us. GET THIS…she ends up going outside with a broom to shew it away under animal control could come get it. We were all a little freaked out inside and it wouldn’t have been very sanitary for me to go out and try to take care of it since I was running a bakery at the time. Possums are interesting little critters!
Crazy huh Lindsay?! It’s always mindboggling to think that Bower Power readers are all over this planet…I still tend to believe that it is only my mom and maybe a couple other relatives reading. But I’m always glad to hear from the Australian crowd…especially since they introduced me to the ringtail possum…who knew that the American cousins would be so freakin’ hideous! xo – kb
Sarah – I would have freaked out too…man…it sounds like you had a zombie possum on your hands. I would know. I watch Jeremy fight video game zombies for like three hours each night 🙂
xo – k to the b