Opossum

Bwahahahah! Three posts in one day!
This is because I meant to post both yesterday and the day before and I didn't.
So on Friday when I went to volunteer at the humane society, Marisa tells me, "Tara, you're releasing an opossum today."
I went O_O
After several years of volunteering there, I'd never been present at a release. And I got to do this one all myself! I put the young opossum in a box with a towel and drove home with it.
I went inside and said to Mom and Dad, "guess what I've got in the back of my car!"
It took them forever to guess opossum. Dad's been bugging me to ask about releases for ages, but I never remember when I'm there because there's usually a lot to do (except during winter). So, it just kind of happened without my asking.
So Dad came with me and I drove behind the cemetery near my house where there's kind of a creek. Dusk was just starting, which is when you're supposed to release opossums. I walked down the hill very slowly because it was a bit muddy. I open the box where the baby opossum is diligently playing dead with his mouth open and his teeth showing.
Then Dad calls for me to wait so he can get my picture and he starts jogging down the slope towards me. I look over at him and seem him run down the hill past me, and I sort of think to myself, "why is he still running down?" Then I realize that he can't stop because of the mud! Finally his feet slip out from under him and he ends up on his back.
After than interesting little distraction, I pull out the possum-playing opossum and set him in a small trough I'd pushed out of the leaves, sheltered beneath a tree. I set a couple larger leaves over him to shield him from view, and then we headed off.
It wasn't one of those things where you open the box and the animal scampers off to freedom. The little guy will probably lay there until it's nice and dark.


Do well, little opossum! Grow up big and healthy!