My 'possum ... (update) ...

Well, you're too late.

I know all y'all will be very disappointed to read this. Some of you might be in the air already -- in fact, landing today. Perhaps others are driving here. Well, the 'possum is gone, as in deader than a doornail gone.


I had an early pickup this morning to go to IAH ... yes, I'm still driving some of my old-timey customers -- not enuf of them on a regular basis to pay the bills, but every little bit helps, right? ... and didn't get back to the house until four and a half hours later. Had just a 'ton' of errands to run, and you know how much I love shopping!

So, I took my sweet time and made sure every last item was crossed off my list before I returned to the house. It took three stores and one post office to accomplish it all, but it's finished! Hooray!!


(By the way, have all of you remembered to stock up on the "forever" stamps? First class is going up one penny May 12th. I bought 40. I'll buy another 40 in a couple of weeks, assuming the one store I went to still has them in stock. The post office was "out", would you believe?

Those ought to last me a good while. I use maybe five a month. That's only 16 mos. worth, tho, assuming I buy another 40. Maybe I should buy ten or so regular 41 cent stamps? Heck, I don't know. It's a gamble either way you look at it, isn't it?)


Now, I fully intend to keep this self-satisfied smirk on my face for at least the rest of today and maybe even some tomorrow, we'll see. (Very similar to how I feel after I've voted. I can be quite obnoxious, actually.)


But, back to my 'possum update. So, the car is in the garage, and my arms are loaded down with groceries when I see what at first glance looks like a very large cat basking in the sun just inside my garage.

I go a couple of steps closer, fully expecting the cat to awaken any second, startled out of a sound sleep, jump up and scurry away. Well, it wasn't a cat.

Guess what it was? Yeah, you guessed it first time around. I gave you too many hints, didn't I?


Finally, it dawned on me that there was no way my 'possum would be sunning himself. They're night critters!

So, I put the groceries back in the car and starting stomping my way towards the creature, all the while watching intently for the least little sign of movement or life ... the LAST thing I wanted to do was get bit by a sick or dying 'possum!

No signs of life. No movement whatsoever. I wasn't about to touch it! Ugh! Double ugh!!


O.K. Now I had to get rid of it!

Thank goodness one of the stores I had gone to was stocking their shelves, and I was fortunate enuf to grab several large boxes before they were compacted. They're still in my trunk.

All except one, actually -- the one I chose to dump the dead critter's body in.

I first lined it with old newspapers. We don't have our next scheduled garbage pickup until Friday, and I don't know how long it might take before he starts stinking up the garage, do you?

Then, I looked all around for my shovel ... know I've GOT one, but do you think I could find it?? (No) SO, I grabbed a hoe and somehow managed to get the creature's corpse balanced on it long enuf to transport him to his readied coffin.

Triple ugh!!!

Anyway, I'll probably decide later to put the windows in the car all the way up just in case "el stinko" decides to show up tonite or tomorrow. We're not that warm yet ... highs in the 60s and 70s, but still, better safe than sorry, I figure.


Now don't you be mad at me! I first posted that I had a 'possum that I was giving away, for free, on March 2nd. All you had to do was come over, find it, and cart it out of here. It's now March 12th. Too late.