Furry Friends

Living in the country has been eventful over the years, but last week we had a new experience with one of our furry neighbors. Our dog, Buddy, stood at the patio door, staring outside and growling. He does that often, and it usually means he sees a deer in the yard, or a leaf blowing around. Since I was doing dishes nearby, I went to see what he was protecting us from and was surprised to see a possum sitting on our deck.

The possum looked bedraggled and wet. It was licking its fur with complete disregard for any danger lurking on our side of the door. I grabbed my camera and quickly took the creature's picture, thinking it would soon run off. The flash attracted its attention, but instead of heading for its home it headed for mine. I'm not sure if it was trying to attack us, or just get inside where it was warm. There were four cats, a dog, and three humans watching as that possum repeatedly scraped his claws on the patio door, stretching higher and higher as if testing the glass for an opening. When he gave up on that, Mr. Possum started digging at the bottom of the doorframe, still determined to join us in the kitchen.

Company arrived, and we showed off the possum standing nose to nose with our dog, who had quit growling and was now whimpering for us to let his new pal inside. Of course we were too smart to let it in, but we enjoyed its antics for half an hour before the possum wandered off. The next morning, in the light of day, the evidence of our furry friend's visit remained. The wood slivers mounded in front of the door were easy to sweep away, but the wooden sill will have to be replaced to keep smaller critters from making their way in.