Playin' possum

Yesterday morning I heard the commotion before I even opened the back door to feed Sammy, Duchess, and crew. The outdoor cats were upset about something and it was quickly obvious who: two half-grown raccoons were variously running across the fenced backyard and climbing the hackberry tree. They'd already made a fine mess of the cats' water by spilling it and leaving dirt in the bowl. No sooner did I put down food for the cats and go back inside to watch, than one bold fellow was onto the food. I put an end to that by opening the door and yelling at him.

I haven't seen raccoons all summer and now there were two. It was time to trap.

So last night I set the trap between the hackberry tree and the regular feeding spot. I loaded it with a pear and sunflower seeds and spent five minutes chasing cat Sammy away from it.

Ninety minutes later, the trap had done its trap-thing. Wonderful! Except I'd got a possum.

Now, I haven't seen a possum in/near our yard in ten years. How befuddling is this? Still, even though he wasn't who I wanted, I couldn't let him go.

Today, he has a new country home, which is where he belongs instead of mere blocks from downtown. Tonight, I'll try again for the elusive raccoons. Wish me luck!