Yes I know it's opossum, but who says that? I came home from work as usual tonight, after dark, also as usual. I'm tired but it's Friday so I am happy. I gather my purse and my bag of fast food and get out of the car, moving around to the back to open the door and take my computer bag out. I set it on the driveway and pulled the handle out, wheeling it around behind me as I stepped toward the porch and the dead animal. WHAT?
After I stood frozen to the spot for a full minute or 2 it occurred to me that I couldn't do anything right that second and OH! It's a possum! Probably scared him when I drove up the driveway! I stepped over him making sure I didn't hit him with my computer bag as I stepped up on the porch, unlocked the door and went inside.
 |
| GRAPHIC IMAGE |
Um .. does anyone know how long a possum traditionally plays possum once the cats aren't watching from the window anymore? Cause - it's awful cold out there and he's really going to be dead if he doesn't get up and run away soon.
GO Mr. Possum, go! Mr. Possum? Ew.
**Apparently people pay $55.00 for a man to come and take away animals that have crawled up your driveway to die. I guess the city only takes them for free if it is on the street or the parkway. NO, I'm not dragging it down to the street. Ew. He's kind of a cute big headed little animal (his name is Larry) but possums are nasty, germy animals. I'll let a professional handle it.
***And then the man who was coming out this morning calls and says he can't find my address. Turns out he thought I was in another town. If it's my town - the price is $125.00. So lets be clear. There is an empty lot across the street, kitty corner to me. If I were a bad citizen I could pick up Larry with a shovel, carry him across the street and unceremoniously dump him. Ahem. Instead I say no thank you to the $125.00 offer and move on. He calls back - how about $85.00? Um, no thank you. I called somewhere else - IN the town I live in - $150.00! For a possum that is not under a porch or in an attic or inside my garage. Larry is laying peacefully on my driveway, next to the porch. Next phone call - found a guy who can be here in a half hour for $65.00. Sold. Somehow this is not a contingency I have ever planned for. I must remember to plan better.
..
..
Ewwww is right !
ReplyDeleteI once had a dead crow in my yard,I was so grossed out thinking if I went anywhere near it I would get some kind of bird flu nastyness, my MIL walked right up to it and carried it to a garbage bag threw it in like nothing happened and in a garbage bin, then went to wash her hands......... end of story !
I once caught a dead mouse and threw it out does that count as brave?
You're probably right about germy possums. Too bad you couldn't make jewelry out of the fur like this artisan who makes roadkill jewelry!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.beadinggem.com/2011/01/real-road-kill-bangles-by-lucy-jenkins.html
Holly sh__ I'm in the wrong business. I have to work at making money. $150. to pick up a little thing like that and dispose of it.
ReplyDeleteBetteJo, I would think that if a deer, moose, bear, or a rather large animal came onto my property and died and I wasn't able to remove it by hand then calling a person who would charge this amount of money would be in order. Really, what did he do, pick it up by the tail, drop it into your garbage can and whip his hand off on his overalls while he put out the other hand to collect the money?
I'm going to have a look at this road kill jewellery. bye for now
I would have been inclined to shovel him in a bag and toss him in the garbage (I live in a condo and we have five big bins).
ReplyDeleteY'know, I just didn't want to touch him. The guy who picked him up said the reason for the price is because by law they have to cremate them. So - I paid for him to be removed.
ReplyDeleteThat is crazy. I think I would have been a bad citizen and shoveled him to the street. Sad but true, but that is a lot of money to pay for a dead possum.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I agree with Teena. I would have gotten the shovel, and tossed his carcass into the trash and kept my $$ in my pocket.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh everyone is way less squeamish than I am. Okay, if some random animal decides to crawl up my driveway and die again, I will grab a shovel and scrape him into the trash. Eeew. I can only hope it never happens.
ReplyDelete