Surprise Encounter

Yesterday morning I went to take Zook out for the first time of the day. I opened the french doors to the porch, and I found Zook was hesitant to go out. I finally coaxed him to the screen door, but after sticking his head out the door, he backed up and decided he didn't want to go out. So I had to toss his butt out, and order him to "go to the bathroom!"

He quickly did his business and ran back to the door to be let in. I let him in and we were walking back through the french doors when I heard rustling in the leaves next to the porch. My first thought was "snake", and I glanced over to see what might be in the corner beside the porch, only to discover a small opossum on its back with my large opossum (that lives under my shed) on top of it. There was no other sound- no hissing or anything. I ran to get my camera, and turned it on just as the small opossum tried to get away from Big Boy, and Big Boy decided to go around and pursue her


Then the little girl decided she really wanted to get away from Big Boy, and tried climbing the trellis to get away.


When that failed, she gave up and just scampered off under the bench on my deck.


I left to go get ready for work, and went back awhile later to check the backyard and found Big Boy running around on the deck in front of the shed. Then he disappeared under the deck where I have seen him go before.


Then he reappeared seconds later, only to run around the back of the shed (where he or some other critter has torn off the lattice work across the bottom), and presumably disappeared back under the shed again.

I just never know what I will encounter around here-- and I live in "suburbia"!