A Possum Tale

(Posted by Paula)

You know, our adorable little puppy, Molly, who grew into an adorable HUGE puppy, is always full of energy. In fact, she's about to drive Michael and me crazy. She's at this new stage where she likes to ignore us, so when she goes outside, no matter how long and how loud Michael and I call for her, she does her own thing. Michael came in the house the other morning absolutely fit to be tied. You have to understand...Michael NEVER gets upset, but that morning he was mad. He told me that he'd been trying to get Molly in the house for the past half hour, but she was totally enamored with a possum that had wandered into the yard.

Mr. Possum waddled around the yard for a while but never played dead, according to Michael. I thought that was something they did when a big ferocious puppy wanted to play! Molly was out to make him her best friend, but he really didn't want to have anything to do with her. He was more interested in the big ole fish he had in his mouth.

"WHERE did the fish come from?!?!" I cried, to which Michael replied nonchalantly, "From the creek." He said it as if I was supposed to have known that.

Now, granted, I've only lived in this house for about a year and a half, but NEVER in that time did I ever notice our little creek being deep enough or clean enough to have fish in it. Especially a big ole fish like that. I may be wrong, but I think Michael was pulling my leg...or he just wanted to impress me that he knows everything, including where that possum found that big ole fish.

Well, finally, we herded Molly into the house. I think she was a little hurt that Mr. Possum didn't like her very much. She quickly got over it, though, because the next day when she found that Mr. Possum had left her a lil present -- a dead fish carcass in the yard.

Now, I didn't notice the fish carcass until Molly wouldn't come in when I called her, and I found her in the yard playing with something. She kept sniffing it and chewing on it, and then, she...and I'm not lying...turned on her back in the yard, laid on the fish, and rolled all over it. I still didn't know it was a fish at that point. No, I found that out when she decided to come in and jump on me and try to give me fishy kisses. Needless to say, I TOTALLY freaked out. Michael, of course, thought the entire thing funny. So much so that instead of picking up the fish, he leaves it out there another 8 hours so that Molly could go play with it again and do the same thing to me later that evening. Upon witnessing my display of hysterics mixed with a bit of anger, Michael has now seen to it that the fish is no longer on the property. Very smart move.

So, Mr. Possum is no longer allowed in our yard or in our creek if he's going to catch the fish and leave them for Molly to play with. No, there will be no more presents of fish remains. Molly is disappointed, but I'm sure she'll find something else just as smelly to play with.

Anyone with any tips on how to keep possums away (that does not include using an illegal firearm, poison, or any other devices or chemicals that could bring long-term harm or death to the possum), please let me know!!