Usual Critters – ND #126

Young Opossum – Photo: L. Weikel

Usual Critters

You can tell it’s spring. The usual critters are busy being born and meandering out to explore the world.

We narrowly avoided a lesson in “who you sniff and don’t sniff” the other day on our walk. As you know, on our walks lately we’ve been rather preoccupied with keeping the biological imperative of Brutus from successful exploration. But they are wily little devils and make a game out of criss-crossing in front and occasionally in back of us. Tangled leashes are a constant source of entertainment.

But Pacha made a beeline toward the side of the road as we were going past the former home of Princess. Both Brutus and Pacha are always looking for her as we walk past her field. (Yeah, that’s a sad story…we can only presume she will be part of some people’s Easter repast. She’s been gone for at least two weeks. )

I didn’t really think about it when Pacha headed toward the tall grass at the side of the road until I caught sight in my peripheral vision of the poof of fur haphazardly laying amongst the dead leaves. Pacha was pretty far out on her leash – I think I was on one side of the road and she was moving rather rapidly toward that thing that quite obviously resembled a decent stuffed toy – when it suddenly dawned on me what I was seeing.

Suddenly, in an effort to get her to stop in her tracks, I hollered out to Pacha, “No! Come here!” I hoped she’d hear the urgency in my voice and obey it. She continued toward it, albeit a bit more slowly, giving me enough time to reel her in.

Youngster

Me being me, I pulled Pacha away, but at the same time, I walked toward the fur ball myself to see whether it was roadkill or just playing opossum.

Sure enough, this little creature opened its eye slightly and looked right at me. I told it I was sorry it had become frightened, and we would be moving on. The only thing on its entire body that moved was its eyelid. I did, of course, ask to take its photo so I could write about it.

Its fur looked really beautiful. My sense was that it wasn’t full grown – or at the most, this was its first full year. It seemed to be on the small side, compared to some of the very hefty ones I’ve seen hanging around our feeders in other years. Frankly, it was adorable.

(Which reminds me – I just took Pacha out to water the garden tonight and wasn’t an opossum waddling quickly away toward the dark shadows behind the house as I set her down? Luckily, she listened this time, too.)

Another confrontation avoided – whew.

(T+126)