Critters

A Pika Chu I made for last weeks festivities ended up with many strangely placed tails with the assistance from tiny hands.
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Playing 'Possum
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December 4 2008
I only had two barrels until I went n got a new one today. The tall one was full. There's a hole in the lid of the cheaper, smaller one, where a critter chewed thru it to get out the stale goodies I'd tossed a few months back. I usually don't put food garbage in that one, but I didn't make the dump last week, so did reluctantly put one bag in it, thinking I might have to pick up stuff off the lawn again.
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I went to put more in that barrel the other day in the waning daylight before work. I noticed the hole was bigger, about five inches wide now. When I lifted the lid I was caught by surprize to find a curled up oppossum looking up at me. I had to go to work quick, n didn't have time to play around.
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"Okay," I told him, "I'll leave you alone today." I put the lid back down, went off to work so I wouldn't be late.
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Gotta hand it to the critter, he found a perfect den. Warm against the house, out of the wind n rain, away from dogs reach. He had a soft bed on the garbage bag, through which to dig for stale goodies for snack time. I don't think these critters are as dumb as I previously believed. They are surviving New England winters, n are supposed to be southerners. Those who don't adapt, don't live, Professor Darwin.
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December 6 2008
I want to take the trash to the dump. It's Freakin' Frio n I don't want to kick the critter out into the cold with nowhere to go- because that's mean. I like animals too much. A co-worker thinks Possum should be erradicated n exterminated, because it's not a sanitary creature, never mind it has sharp teeth. But ya know, Possums are cowards, n Critter believes now if he just sits still there, I'll leave him be, n put the warm cover back again.
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Couldn't think of another good pic subject on my errand run. So Digi-Cam in hand in the "on" position, I wonder if Possum is still in the can...




Bright Light, bright light! Oh- one more shot, from too close, about two foot range with the flash, but the pics came out. Critter sat still, dazed. "Maybe if I play Possum, that large creature won't see me n put the cover back... yep, works every time!"
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I went to the store n bought another garbage can, so I'd have a place to put the next bag of food trash. A trip to the dump will wait.
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December 11 2008
I'd thought when it gets warmer out would be a good time to oust the critter from his cozy spot to go find a new one. The weather has warmed up, but it hasn't stopped raining in days.
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I finally made a trip to the refuse disposal station. Sans the cheap plastic barrel with the hole in the cover! I couldn't do it yet- We're getting a huge storm all the way from Texas to New England dropping inches of rain with flood warnings issued here. Some parts of the south got snow n tornadoes. It's fairly nasty out there.
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Some people dislike possums because they look like large rats, n remind them of rodents. Altho they do seem to reproduce profusely, they are marsupials with pouches, who climb trees n have very poor eyesight. I happen to have had pet mice in my teens, n pet hamsters for my children. I'm pretty animal savy. The proper time for the barrel cleaning is key.
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Not today, Possum. I'll play a little longer-