Thursday, December 21, 2017

Throwback Thursday - The Night Visitor

 If you read Sunday's How Does Your Garden Grow?, you may remember a mystery of pawprints at the front door. Himself thought they might be from a cat. I thought they were from a racoon. Himself saw an article about a possum, and the picture of the possum's feet looked like they could have left the prints found on the front steps.  So today, a reprint from 24. December 2013

Christmas Eve, ten years ago. The Eldest was 16 and The Young One 12.

 A week or so  before Christmas I was downstairs playing on the computer. I don't remember where Himself was, perhaps he was teaching his night class. Suddenly, from the garage, there was a loud bang like one of the storage boxes falling to the floor. I was shaken, but did not stir. I do not venture into the garage where the spiders live.

When Himself came home I told him about the loud noise. Himself poked his nose in the garage as it is his domain. Nothing looked odd to him so he decided I must have heard a mouse. From time to time, I have heard mice scrabbling in a wall. It was not the same sound unless this was a giant mouse.

The next night, I'm sitting at the computer and Himself is watching television. Whump!

"That is not a mouse, unless, it's a giant mouse." I felt like Sylvester the cat trying to convince others about the giant mouse.

Himself agreed. The next morning he went to the hardware store and bought a trap. A humane trap like a cage. One way in, but no way out.  He baited the trap with some leftovers. When he checked the trap in the morning, the bait was gone, but no critter in the trap. This went on for a few more days until Christmas Eve late in the afternoon. A loud bang signaled the trap had been sprung.

Himself opened the door leading from the playroom to the garage.He called us all downstairs to see.

"Aw, he's cute," cooed the girlies.

Inside the trap, worse than a mouse was a giant, rat of a possum.

"Let's name him Chris!"

"We are not naming a rat, and we most certainly aren't going to keep it."

I called the town animal control only to be told they only take care of dogs or cats. I was told I would have to call the Department of Fish and Game. Fish and Game told me it was Christmas Eve, and they wouldn't be able to do anything until a day or two after Christmas.

"Listen. I have kids. The last thing I want for them to do is to come downstairs on Christmas morning to take a peek at the critter to find he chewed his paw off trying to get out." I might have sounded slightly hysterical.

"Okay. I'm not supposed to tell you this, but you can take it out and let it go.  You can't drive it out of the area, because it might have a disease, but you could let it go on your property."

And so began the big expedition. I got the flash light. Himself got a golf club to tap on the back of the trap in case Chris was too scared to budge. We got dressed in winter jackets, mittens, gloves, boots. In the dark of night with much muffled laughter, shushing, and stumbling knee deep in snow, Himself carried the cage to the corner of the woods at the back of our property where The Leaf Lady's property adjoined ours.

I was hoping we would be inconspicuous, but there was a lot of laughter, and flash light beams bouncing all over the woods. No back door lights from The Leaf Lady's house illuminated the darkness. No one screaming, "What the hell is going on?!"  A good sign. Himself opened the trap, and Chris, petrified with fright, wouldn't budge. A gentle rap on the back of the trap and Chris bounded out of the trap, across The Leaf Lady's back yard to the woods on the opposite side.

12 comments:

  1. What a great story! I can just imagine you all traipsing through the snow with that poor possum - I bet he was happy to be free again. I've never see one near here yet! Have a great day, hugs, Valerie

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    1. He was very happy to get back to whatever possums do.

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  2. Poor opossum. I admit I laughed and laughed at your really cute tale of fear, anxiety, and angst. I'm fairly certain the poor thing never ventured to your home again. Still laughing!

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    1. He lit out of the cage so fast across the neighbor's yard, I thought he would set the woods on fire. :-D

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  3. I haven't seen our opossum for awhile. I used to like to eat from the drip tray under the grill. They are cute, but not sure them showing up in the house would be wanted. Happy Solstice-if you can muster a smile on this darkest of days. Just think, tomorrow the day is a little longer and we're one day closer to summer. hugs-Erika

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    1. I like your positive thinking. I hope you're feeling better.

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  4. LOL I can just picture you all bundled up and traipsing though the snow!!!! :D

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    1. It was hilarious. The snow was deep. We were laughing and tripping. Trying not to make noise so the crabby Leaf Lady wouldn't stick her head out her door to see what was going on.

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  5. What a great post, I so enjoyed reading your story today! It really made me smile, thank you! Maybe your possum has come back to wish you a Merry Christmas again ...lol 😉. Thanks for the fun and laughter and wishing you a Happy Thursday! J 😊

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    1. He can hang out at the front steps all he wants. Just as long as he doesn't find his way into the garage again.

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  6. So, do you think the possum came back? Or maybe it was part of it's family?? What a great story CJ!!!! I was laughing! LOL! Glad the Leaf Lady didn't wake up! LOL!

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    1. As far as I know, he never came back. Yeah, I was glad the Leaf Lady didn't make an appearance. She's not the best of neighbors

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