Friday, July 9, 2010

A Friday Fiasco!

Our day started off with a heart-stopping moment here at Golden Pines! The morning started off as usual. I let the dogs out, fed the cat (she'd not eaten since last night so she was starved!) and I sat down to read blogs and check e-mails. It was not unusual to have the dogs barking at something because there's almost always a rabbit having breakfast nearby. There was also a little barking inside the house, again it wasn't nothing unusual. Sheba did seem a little nervous because she came to me a couple of times and I noticed that she was a little wet around her neck, but I wasn't concerned since we'd had a some rain yesterday.

Promptly at 6 o'clock, just as he always does, Sam came into the office to announce that it was time to get moving and go for our morning walk. I walked into the living room, and in the darkness of the room, I stepped on something cold and wet. I quickly turned on the light saw the wet lifeless body of a young opossum and I had stepped on its tail!!! My screams of shock, surprise or whatever you'd like to call it were no doubt heard throughout the county! They also brought about bedlam and confusion as the dogs began running to me and away from me! I yelled at all the dogs to get outside. Knowing that it was probably safer to listen to a shrieking crazy woman most of the dogs did exactly as they were told. However, Sheba who is always compliant found herself torn between wanting to do what she was told and rolling on the poor lifeless body of the opossum, which in all the commotion she managed to do a couple of times. Carl emerged from the bedroom and told me to get a towel because it was moving its mouth and appeared to still be alive. I couldn't look, I'd already seen and felt enough of it. Carl said there were no visible injuries, and maybe it was "playing possum" (or pretending to be dead for those who don't know the phrase) We decided that we would put it in a small dog crate from our barn and find someone to care for it. I chose going to the barn to get the crate and chance the spotting of a mouse over staying with a possibly injured, wet and wild animal. Carl took it outside and laid it on the grass where it promptly "woke up" and casually walked into the tall grass and safety of the woods.......Well okay then.....Lets get this day started!


**Postscript to post--We both checked all the dogs thoroughly including their mouths and thankfully NO injuries were found on any of them. I however, have a little bit of a sore throat ***

41 comments:

  1. phew....this was tense.... my eyes kept getting bigger and bigger while reading this! Thank goodness the little possum was ok!! I hope you have found your calm, too:))

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  2. You would have had to peel me off the ceiling if I stepped on an opossum.

    I'm not sure if this country living is for me!!

    Glad it turned out to be okay though.

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  3. Oh my Lord Kim!!! My heart is pounding like a freight train just listening to the story.
    I remember those little devils from my time in Texas and although I thought they were adorable when seen from afar, I was told they are quite "frisky" when provoked! It is a miracle neither Sheba nor you guys were bitten.
    I'm kind of happy for the possum too that it was alright and made a getaway...I hope the rest of your weekend is blissfully uneventful!
    Tina xo

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  4. No need for coffee this morning! Very exciting Kim, what's next? Finding Amelia Earhart in your barn? I sometimes think about what form of wild beast might use our doggy door, here in Seattle. We have possums and raccoons around, but they are very ubanated and avoid areas marked by big dogs. But still....I cannot even imaging the shrieks from the wife if something like that ever happened.

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  5. That was a good start to the day ..

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  6. I'm CRACKING UP laughing! This is a story I think many dog owners can understand on some level.

    We've dealt with skunks and moles...can't wait to share those stories...again if I haven't already. LOL

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  7. That's why I don't have a doggie door in place.......yet. I do get occasional snake inside, but that's about it. And thankfully, I have never stepped on one in the dark.

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  8. Hokey Smokes, that would be enough to scare the bejeebers out of anyone.
    Glad alls well that ends well.
    Nothing like a leisurely morning at Golden Pines.

    Hamish & Rescue Sophie

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  9. Goodness ~ what an exciting start to your day Kim! I think I would need a rest after all that ~ ha!

    Hope you have a very Happy weekend!
    xo Catherine

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  10. Goodness what a start to the day !

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  11. Country living at it's best,LOL...
    wouldn't trade it for anything...

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  12. OMG! I would have screamed too! In the house?! Yikes! Glad nobody was injured!
    Years ago, late at night I let the dogs out....I called them to come in and no response... Got the flashlite and say the four dogs in a group..they had caught a rabbit and were playing tug-o-war with it! They were all covered in blood and FLEAS!......so in the middle of the night they all got baths! Arg!
    Hope your weekend gets better!
    xoxo

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  13. Lucky possum...come by my blog tomorrow morning for the story of our possum.(who wasn't so lucky)

    Glad it all ended well for everyone. And just for the record, I'd rather see a million snakes, possums, and mice instead of one single spider.

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  14. Yep...sounds like life around here! LOL. My dog is a famous opossum hunter and we have had to retrieve MANY from the garage...thankfully, none from the house. However, ours are usually at night...I'd be more afraid I had an interaction with one during the day! They aren't the most attractive creatures, to be sure!

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  15. I'd be shrieking like a banshee too!

    Sam

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  16. For Heaven's Sake, Kim!
    Hope you stopped at KK on the way to work!
    Hugs to you!
    Kit

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  17. Oh my gosh! I can't imagine finding a "dead" possum in your living room. Thank goodness it didn't bite you or the dogs. We've got them around here, I see them in the yard all the time. I'll have to tell the next one I see to be sure and remember that they aren't welcome in the house.

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  18. Oh man. That is not a good way to start a morning! I would have totally freaked out, too.

    Sounds like several of the dogs thought the incident was pretty amusing. :)

    Have a good one!

    -C

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  19. Smart little opposum! Yea, he got away! Glad your story had a happy ending. I would have freaked out if it had been in my house!

    Liz

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  20. I am so glad we dont have possoms here...ugly little sucker!!!

    have a good weekend kim
    x

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  21. Laugh out loud funny! What a hilarious post. There are a few things that I always look for when I get up in the morning... Silence, Wetness, and the Look of Innocense. All of which mean something is up. And, man, Ive only got one Golden and you've got, what? Gazillion? LOL. So funny. Great post!

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  22. Oh, what a living nightmare. Looking back on it, so many things could have gone wrong and led to a real disaster. I'd have had a sore throat as well. Shivers up my back just reading about it!

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  23. That story was funny to us!
    I know it must have been scary to you- but the outcome was perfect. We know you do not like that mouse barn! Brave heart you are!
    What an exciting life at Golden Pines
    love
    tweedles

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  24. Nothing like a major shot of adrenalin to start your day! Sounds like my morning: within 5 minutes of rolling out of bed I found a live mouse who had clambered into the garbage bin under the kitchen sink and couldn't get out. What a way to wake up fast!

    I wish you a restful and event-free weekend!

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  25. Woof! Woof! That would scare my mom too. You had an exciting morning ... it sure woke you up. How was the rest of your day? Hope it was GREAT! Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar

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  26. Talk about jump starting your heart!!
    How did it get into the house? Did the dogs actually bring it in?
    I've never seen one and we don't have them living in this Province thank God. I guess Carl didn't have to wait for the alarm clock to go off.
    Great post and glad everyone came through the ordeal safe and sound.
    You are ok right?!!!

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  27. Goodness me! There is always excitement in your house Kim!
    Glad all ended well.

    Bellaboo :0)

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  28. It all happens at your house doesn't it!!!! I would have reacted in the same way & I definitely wouldn't have fetched the crate & risked encountering a mouse!!! YUK! xxx

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  29. Oh my gosh, I glad it all worked out ok - I would have had a heart attack!

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  30. Hope you are feeling ok... no sore throat or other symptoms. I'm so glad that it was a 'possum and not a skunk. You were very brave. I think I would have run out of the house with the dogs! And you are also very patient and kind. It is amazing how rude and awful the public can be. Thanks for checking in on me.

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  31. Wowzers, what a fearsome looking creature, rather you than me! :-)

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  32. oh my goodness, life is never dull in the countryside now is it!!

    Gill in Canada

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  33. Oh wow!! How did that little possum find it's way into your living room???? What a scene that must have been!!! Good grief :)

    Hugs and snaggle-tooth kisses,
    Sierra Rose

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  34. Oh, that is not how one should start their morning! Ewww, you stepped on it! I would have screamed, too. How in the world did it get in the house???

    Glad none of the dogs were bitten because that would have made it rather scary, even if they do have a current rabies shot.

    I'm glad you let the little fella go. He was probably more scared than anyone!

    Hope you had a great weekend.

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  35. What a start of the day! I'm glad that everything ended wel!

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  36. We came again to visit Golden Pines, because we wanted to look at your beautiful butterfly.
    A mafnificent photo
    love
    tweedles

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  37. You actually stepped on it? With your bare foot? I think I would have died on the spot. No funny blog post from me the next day.

    For that reason alone, I am glad that it was you and not me...

    ;-)

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  38. Makes finding the occasional mouse pale into insignificance! Glad the little possum was okay though.

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  39. LOL I went thru that when my aunt died. I got her lab/shepherd mix Grady. He brought home a possum one night. I managed to get him inside so the poor thing would just go away!
    ~Randy

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  40. Just dropping by to say, I hope you're having a oppossum/stress-free week!
    Hugs to you and belly rubs to pups,
    Kit

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Speak--I really enjoy your comments! Thanks for stopping by today!!