I hope you can see these pictures. I took them of the tree outside our bedroom window and of an opossum. Since an opossum is not that uncommon and perhaps not that exciting, you may be wondering why I would take time to blog these pictures. I am posting them because I was excited to finally get a visual of what was waking me up in the middle of the night stomping around the side of my house! Yes, this opossum is the answer to my lingering question. See, we have quite a lot of what I like to call detritus, or leaf litter, also known as lots of dead leaves on the side of our house. I like it there because it is natural in how it breaks down organically. But, I also like it there because it provides a natural security or alarm system: you can't sneak up on the side of the house...it is so loud walking on 2 feet of detritus. So, yeah, I've heard what sounds like a small person walking outside my window a few times recently in the night. And, yes, I GET UP and look out the blinds all stealth-like. One time I woke Scott up determined that someone was on the side of our house. He got out of bed and even went and inspected. I realize that it could have been a dog or cat, but I never could see anything. But, this morning was different because I heard the noise of some tiny person or huge cat walking on the leaves when I looked out the window and saw an opossum at the base of the smaller tree we have out there. Then, he crawed slowly up the tree right in front of me and the window. He perched up there on the branch in the early morning sunlight probably trying to get some rest from a night of foraging.
Anyway, I'm happy to identifiy our intruder. I'm also looking forward to spotting him each morning when he returns. I've got Scout on high alert for opossum spottings as well. It is like we are training for camping.
