Possum Patrol

So, last night there was a flurry of barking in the yard and Murphy wouldn't come when called (most unusual for him). I grabbed a flashlight and went to investigate, and found Murphy protecting our yard from a baby possum. The possum had dug under the fence, trying to enter our yard, and Murphy was telling him off. (Dudley barked too, but decided to let Murphy take the lead here.) Oh, possums are so cute when they're tiny! Oh, they are so ugly when grown - and if you've ever seen their teeth up close in person, they are scary damn things. I wasn't bothered by the baby, but was bothered by the thought that it had a mama nearby. So now when the dogs are in the yard I go out with the flashlight and scan the yard for intruders. Oh, and the bear was back, down the street, where he got into someone's patio area, couldn't find his way back out and knocked down their fence to leave.

If I can get away this afternoon I plan to leave work early and go to the garden center and run other errands. I haven't had a weekend at home in several weeks and the yard needs attention. I hate yard work. This isn't "gardening," gardening is sweet and pretty and fun. Gardening is flowers. This is keeping the jungle from taking over again. This is killing fire ants and pulling weeds and hacking at that mysterious vine that keeps growing back along the fence, and the spiky bougainvilla, and it's hot and sweaty and nasty and boy, it makes me want a condo. But yay for weekends!