A Close Encounter of the Marsupial Kind

 

 When the holidays are over, I like to leave the garland upon my deck.  I replace the colorful Christmas lights with white ones and switch out shimmery lavender bows for the red Christmas ones.  I call it my “winter deck.” 

My winter deck at night

The other night when I went out to turn off the lights at bedtime, the overhead deck light turned on because it is on a motion sensor……and what to my wondering eyes should appear but a big, fat possum munching on something on my deck!   

Our two-second, silent conversation went like this:  

“Whhaaattt???” 

“Whhaaattt???” 

“You gonna hurt me?” 

“No, you gonna hurt ME?”

“No, but what the hell are you doing on my deck?”

“Oh, well, I’m just helping myself to some of this lovely stuff the birds left here.” 

“I see. Ok, then, carry on.” 

“Nah, I’m outta here!”   

And with that he was gone.  Strange.  

 I’m glad neither of my little-old-lady cats was there to witness the encounter, because if one of them had been there, our conversation would probably not have been so civil. And somebody might have ended up with a wound. 

Snowpocalypse 2015

Eight things I learned  while taking a stroll through my snow-blanketed neighborhood this afternoon:

1.  In spite of all of the intervening years since childhood and all of the adult responsibilities that come with it, I still love winter!

 

Ice skating with Dad in Snyder Park, Springfield, Ohio--1955

Snowpocalypse, Maryville, TN, 2015

2.  Snow defines everything.

3.  Snow tells stories.  For example, it appears that the critters have a field day in the middle of the night in my yard.

 

4.  And just why did someone take their dog walking, not just through my yard, but right outside my bedroom window?  and when??   Creepy.

5.  When one takes a winter walk, one is advised to stuff a Kleenex in one's pocket before one leaves the house. (no picture for this one.)

 

6.  Once I've put a hat on for my walk, it is best to just leave it on all day.  Helmet hair is not a good look for me. (no illustration here, either--sorry!)

7.  Weather phenomena for each season have their destructive abilities.

 

The cedar between my neighbor's and my yard split in half under the weight of ice and snow.

 

Sadly, the gorgeous pine across the street was seriously damaged in last week's ice storm.

8.  However, the results can provide some great materials for home decorating or crafts!

And at the end of my winter journey, one last treasure awaited--a steaming bowl of yummy chicken corn chowder!