tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656921634940224775.post636298092999327990..comments2024-02-11T15:29:31.409-05:00Comments on Richard's Pretension: The ‘Possum PeepersRichard Bellushhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10108081864942272619noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656921634940224775.post-25740774419976654302014-07-28T15:06:00.393-04:002014-07-28T15:06:00.393-04:00Better to poke a 'possum than a polecat.Better to poke a 'possum than a polecat. Richard Bellushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10108081864942272619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656921634940224775.post-38307691916788488112014-07-25T01:03:45.259-04:002014-07-25T01:03:45.259-04:00But they have such a friendly disposition; wheneve...But they have such a friendly disposition; whenever I see a member of our usual passel, he always flashes me a wide friendly grin!!<br /><br /> Pretty as a rose, <br /> Pretty as a blossom,<br /> If ya want yer finger bit,<br /> Go and poke a possum!!<br /> <br />Grundsauhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17617163237664235114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656921634940224775.post-3068288945709827882014-04-23T11:49:35.594-04:002014-04-23T11:49:35.594-04:00One of its best defenses is that it looks and soun...One of its best defenses is that it looks and sounds like a nasty scrappy critter that can give you a serious fight -- it's not and it can't.Richard Bellushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10108081864942272619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656921634940224775.post-58062286413219073372014-04-23T11:09:03.627-04:002014-04-23T11:09:03.627-04:00We used to have a lot of 'possums over at my p...We used to have a lot of 'possums over at my parents place. We'd see the shuffling along the dividing wall, or watching us from the bushes.<br /><br />When I was about 10 I had a close encounter. I was taking out the kitchen garbage, and had to walk through the backyard to get to the outdoor cans. Well, it was dark, and I wasn't really paying too much attention. I turn the corner to the niche where the cans were, and I see this dark shape moving around the cans. I stopped dead, it stopped dead. I thought, "Oh its the neighbor's cat, she's probably looking for some tuna". My sister fed the cat all the time, so it became a regular visitor. <br /><br />"Hey there Peaches, you looking for-" I realized it wasn't Peaches, but something else. I couldn't see it very well, but as I leaned over to pet "Peaches" it crouched back in a decidedly non-feline pose. <br /><br />Then "Peaches" hissed. I jumped back about three feet and dropped the garbage bag. Then the little beasty shuffled away through the gate. I saw it clearly as it escaped, a 'possum! <br /><br />So I think we both gave each other a nice scare.Roman J. Martelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09545497713474664555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656921634940224775.post-50943968940727295692014-04-22T16:24:12.049-04:002014-04-22T16:24:12.049-04:00Raccoons can indeed raise havoc inside a house – a...Raccoons can indeed raise havoc inside a house – and though they’ll usually run away, they can be aggressive if they feel cornered. Moreover, unlike unsociable ‘possums, raccoons are gregarious and readily spread diseases among themselves – and potentially give them to us. In my area there was 90% raccoon die-off from a rabies epidemic about a decade ago. Only recently has the population come back near normal. The die-off pretty well burned out the disease, but it could flare up again among them at any time. I have known people who kept them as pets, but they are rascally; they get into cabinets, tear open cereal boxes, open up drawers, and otherwise cause trouble.<br /><br />Re: the link, “The bird is the word” was a favorite phrase of my ex’s African Grey Parrot.<br />Richard Bellushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10108081864942272619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1656921634940224775.post-87843905220870229502014-04-22T15:09:36.305-04:002014-04-22T15:09:36.305-04:00Yeah, I saw an opossum about a year or so ago in m...Yeah, I saw an opossum about a year or so ago in my neck of the piney woods. At first I just saw its tail and being more a city boy, thought it was a huge rat at first. Good to know they are more friendly than they appear to be, though I wouldn't try picking one up like in the above video. I won't chase them off next time, though like you said it was more a mosey off. We have raccoons out here as well, and I think they can be more destructive to your property especially if they happen to get up into your attic (happened to my aunt recently). Though cuter, they are more angry in disposition, or will run away when confronted. <br /><br />We had a baby raccoon when growing up, which a friend found three of them while hunting. We divided them up and ours was the only one that made it, but it didn't like to be picked up or handled, otherwise it was okay. We eventually took it out and let it go as my parents were afraid it might get out and bite someone. <br />I guess opossums are kinda ugly, though Walt Kelly drew a pretty cute one. Nice poppy music too. <br /><br />The other day while doing dishes I listened to this radio show about birds and found it more interesting than I would have imagined: http://www.kera.org/2014/03/25/bird-is-the-word/El Voxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05985563041511492981noreply@blogger.com