Possum Story...

Many of you seemed interested that we were dropper feeding baby 'possums.  It's not the first time.  When my girls were oh say about eight and ten the dogs killed a 'possum and Marcy saved one then too.

Melissa adopted him and called him Herman.  She dropper fed him.  He was even smaller than these I pictured yesterday.  Melissa kept Herman in a aquarium when she was not carrying him around.  He outgrew that and we moved on to bigger boxes. 

Herman would sit on Melissa's shoulder and wrap his tail around her neck and loved hiding in her hair.  As he was weaned, his favorite food became bananas and moist cat food. Melissa became his mom.

Marcy, my daughters and I decided to go to Branson for a week.  No problem.  Hubby would care for the animals until we returned.

Midweek, we got a call.  Herman wouldn't eat.  We told Hubby to take him outside and talk to him.  Hubby said, "I'm not doing that!  Someone will drive by and see me talking to a 'possum!"  We said, go buy bananas.  He grumbled but he tried.

Two more days passed.  Hubby calls and says, "Don't think Herman is gonna make it.  I've tried everything.  I've bought strawberries and bananas.  I've taken him in the BACK yard to play and I even talked to the #@*# 'possum.  He won't eat."

Returning home we feared the worst.  We walked into Melissa's room and there lay Herman stretched out, skinny and almost lifeless.  Melissa said, "Ohhhhhhh, Herman!"  He struggled to his feet and began to eat as Melissa handed him food.

Herman grew BIG and we talked to the vet about neutering him since he was a boar 'possum.  The vet said he'll always be a wild animal so it's best to let him go.

We just couldn't do it yet.  Our Herman was an unusual one.  Instead of the normal black and grey he was brown and white...beautiful.  We would let him in and out the back sliding glass door and he never messed in the house after he was older.

Herman was a good house keeper.  He would sniff the floor and find even the tiniest bit of food the girls had dropped and eat it.  Herman was also a good watch dog.  He was fine with the four of us but when someone else came that big 'possum mouth would open and he was hiss as loud as he could.

Eventually, he became accustomed to being outside most of the time.  One night he got confused and went to the neighbors sliding glass door and tried to get in.  Thank goodness they knew the girls had a possum. 

The same neighbor had a yard sale and left her stuff out over night.  The next morning a box of clothes was moving.  She carefully lifted the first piece and saw it was a 'possum and almost ran through herself getting away from it.  She called Maria as asked if we still had a 'possum.  Maria went down and said, "Ohhhh, Herman!" and swept him up in her arms.  The neighbor asked me how in the world Maria could tell one 'possum from another.  She also asked Maria to watch the yard sale while she drove to town to get something.  A customer came while Maria sat there with Herman in her arms.  Herman bowed up and hissed at the customer and she left.  Maria never told the neighbor.

Herman got married and moved away.  When we would see a 'possum that unusual color we like to think it was Herman's get.

So next time you see a 'possum know underneath that pointed ugly naked tailed body beats a heart of gold...if you get them young enough. 

Now, I've just confirmed for every one, I really am crazy.