Peepers and a 'Possum

a juvenile possum at our old homestead

When I opened the door tonight, heading to the barn to close the goat in, I was greeted with the cheery sound of spring peepers! For those of you who don't know, they're little frogs about an inch in size. The males make birdlike calls by expanding their throats like a balloon. They usually sing in a chirping chorus, competing for mates. They are the undisputed harbingers of spring. I would have preferred a real winter before spring arrived, but who can complain about spring, whenever it comes?

a full-sized peeper my oldest caught in a milk-jug scoop last summer

The gentle ring of spring peeper songs wafted sweetly up from the pond as I trudged toward the barn. My thoughts were caught up in the things that springtime conjures up. And then I crossed paths with a 'possum... Yug. Those things are like giant, wooly rats. They even have bare tails. Plus they are chicken killers and egg suckers. I am not a fan.

This is the same juvenile 'possum as the one in the first pic. in this post.

I ran after it and chased it just for fun. A 'possum on the run is quite humorous. It undulates as it runs. If it hadn't run, by the way, I would have quickly gotten away from it. Opossums show an impudent lack of respect and take surprisingly bold risks. And there's something threatening about a fearless, climbing creature with a penchant for growling and hissing while baring its teeth, even if it is rather on the small side. Besides, it has a prehensile tail, is the only marsupial in North America, and is immune to the venom of rattlesnakes (and other pit vipers such as the dreaded copperhead!)  

I once did a pointillism of a 'possum. It was perched in a tree looking intently at the viewer. As I remember, it was sort of cute, too. But it was before I'd had enough encounters with the critters to understand their true nature. My husband has it in his office at work. I'll try to get him to take a photo of it. So if you are interested in seeing an old piece of my art, check back.