Saturday, December 25, 2010 - Christmas Day
Clan Speck gathered at the farm this evening for our Christmas celebration. There were 16 folks this year and food for 50.
The evening was enjoyable and uneventful - until we were about to leave. Hubby was locking up the garage when he saw a nekkid tail disappear around the mower, then into the well pump alcove. He found two teenaged possums huddled there, bedding down for the night.
The alarm was sounded and the whole house emptied to see the critters and to take photos. Much ewwwwing and squealing ensued.
I learned that if you poke a possum with the handle of a leaf rake he will curl up in a ball and "play possum." You can pick him up and tote him away by the tail. Learn something new every day.
The possum pair were relocated to the edge of the woods via tail (by two of the Brothers Speck, not Hubby.)
The farm dogs didn't seem interested in chasing them, didn't even bother to sniff them as they were being toted away. Those farm dogs are worthless as critter chasers! They were probably sharing their dog food with the possums.
The possums will probably find their way back to the doghouse and spend the night there. Good Grief!
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Process notes:
The critter drawn here does not resemble an Arkansas possum in the least. Please don't get the impression we have some genetically altered possum species living here.
The title of this entry in my journal reads "POSSOM CHRITMAS." The spellchecker on my Pentel Pocket Brush Pen was broken. Managed to fix Christmas digitally. Gave up on trying to fix all the possoms. I *knew* that didn't look right.
4 comments:
The possums in SC are MEAN and sometimes rabid, they will bare their teeth and hiss and spit at you if you poke them... NO WAY would I touch one curled up or not... sounds like you need a Jack Russel on the farm, mine kill all sorts of critters... including possums, moles, snakes... chickens that get into the dog yard... that would get them in trouble on the farm I'm sure of it.
The possums were spared and relocated only because they were so small. Had it been an angry, hissing adult the outcome would have been much different. I've got some crazy brothers-in-law but they aren't so crazy as to try to wrangle an adult possum.
Yep, you're right. We could use a Jack out there. The farm dogs all look to be retriever mixes. They are happy to drag up dead critters but chasing live critters, not so much.
This summer the dogs were laying around in the yard sunning themselves. Hubby saw a big buck bound out of the woods and start grazing 20 yards away. The dogs, all SIX of them, never moved a muscle.
The only thing they chase is cars. Stoopid dogs.
I've hated possums ever since they killed a dozen laying hens years ago. Only good possum is a dead possum.
Dead possum in some possum stew is even better.
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