... and scared the hell out of me when I walked from my backyard office into the house late last night. It used to be that the pipes would freeze, then burst when I was home alone, now I have to contend with critters. The possum was young, not aggressive, and I honestly don't know which of us was the more startled. What went through my mind was what goes through all cowards' minds: call the police?, sleep in my office?, set the house on fire? wake up my neighbor, Eric? blame Husband No. 1?
I came to my senses. We've had the luxury of leaving the back door open to let cooler air in because the house always had people in it, people that any self-respecting creature could smell. What is different now is that there are only 2 of us living here, and sometimes only one, and what I took for granted in terms of security and access has to change. Lucky for me it was a possum this time. While it cowered in the next room I poured Cocoa Puffs (leftover from my niece's residency) on a plate and placed them just outside the door. Then I ran back to my office. Cowering, I watched while the possum came back to the kitchen and stepped onto the deck. I chastised myself for not placing the cereal further away, but It was outside. As soon as It got further from the door I raced back to the house making stupid Natural-Predator-of-Possum noises, lunged into the house and proceeded to walk through it with my broom turning on every light in every room. Assured that I was alone (with the exception of a few thousand flies) I went outside, making sure to close the door (good-bye cool air) and whistling past the graveyard all the way back to my office.
Despite having grown up in Iowa, I am so not a country girl. Undomesticated creatures walking into my house is a big deal and will always be a big deal. When I lived in New York, I had to worry about human predators. Those I'm used to; they I understand. But possums? New Haven I love you, but give me Park Avenuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh .....
I came to my senses. We've had the luxury of leaving the back door open to let cooler air in because the house always had people in it, people that any self-respecting creature could smell. What is different now is that there are only 2 of us living here, and sometimes only one, and what I took for granted in terms of security and access has to change. Lucky for me it was a possum this time. While it cowered in the next room I poured Cocoa Puffs (leftover from my niece's residency) on a plate and placed them just outside the door. Then I ran back to my office. Cowering, I watched while the possum came back to the kitchen and stepped onto the deck. I chastised myself for not placing the cereal further away, but It was outside. As soon as It got further from the door I raced back to the house making stupid Natural-Predator-of-Possum noises, lunged into the house and proceeded to walk through it with my broom turning on every light in every room. Assured that I was alone (with the exception of a few thousand flies) I went outside, making sure to close the door (good-bye cool air) and whistling past the graveyard all the way back to my office.
Despite having grown up in Iowa, I am so not a country girl. Undomesticated creatures walking into my house is a big deal and will always be a big deal. When I lived in New York, I had to worry about human predators. Those I'm used to; they I understand. But possums? New Haven I love you, but give me Park Avenuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh .....
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