Thursday, August 31, 2006

A Well Deserved Reputation

The other night I let Sam and Marisol out to do what dogs do just before bedtime. As they're finishing their business Marisol starts running around in circles and jumping up and down in the back corner of our yard. Sam runs over to "help". The two of them start pouncing on something and I can only imagine what they're getting into. I grab a flashlight but by the time I get back there the two of them are just standing and looking at something on the ground. The prey of our wild beasts: A possum. Or an opossum if you prefer. He was all twisted and contorted and his mouth was gaping wide with his toungue hanging out, just like you'd expect a possum who got shaken around by a couple 70 lb dogs to look. So I dragged the dogs back into the house and check for bites or wounds of any sort but the dogs looked fine, unlike our gnarly-toothed friend lying lifeless in the backyard. It was almost midnight so I decided I'd scoop him up in the morning. So the next morning I go out with a shovel to clean up the furry fellow and, guess what, he's gone. Not a trace of possum anywhere. I'd have bet you $100 that guy was dead when I saw him lying there the night before. The little thespian. Well done, possum, well done.

7 comments:

lkmanitou said...

He was only playing possum :)

Phollower said...

I KNOW! That's what I'm sayin'. He was fucking good at it too. A real embassador to the name possum.

Frank said...

Unless the mangled corpse was carried off and devoured by a coyote.

Phollower said...

If the coyotes are getting into our fenced yard, which maybe they can but I pretend they can't, then that's a possibility. I wondered about a hawk or owl or something too but there wasn't a trace left. No fur, no blood, no nuthin. So I figured he just tricked me. And the dogs.

Party Girl said...

I dunno, can a possum play possum?

The word, possum has now lost all meaning for me. I've read and said it too many times. Dontchya hate it, yet find it fascinating when that happens? Or is that just me?

Crashtest Comic said...

There's only one sure fire way of being absolutely sure a possum is dead--

tell 'em a joke. If he laughs, he's dead.

limpy99 said...

The opossums in your backyard are faking it. The ones in the road, not so much.