Indoor Wildlife

          I've been going a hundred miles an hour the past week an a half, but it finally paid off!  I have a lot of life changes coming up right now, and I couldn't be more excited!  This week I'm getting settled into my brand new, beautiful apartment, and next week I'm starting my new job!  So while my posts have been thin, there's been a lot going on!
          But while I was trying to pack up my old apartment, and get everything in order, I had the privilege of having a new roommate for the week. Please meet Mr. Opossum...

          The first time we met, I heard him in a corner kitchen, hissing at Einstein, who was really just trying to give him a proper welcome.  We met from a distance, which was just me on top of the counter calling Vlad to rescue me, from what I thought without my glasses, was a rather large rat.  He came over and while trying to trap it (now from behind my oven) he started laughing. When I inquired what could possibly be so funny about my predicament, he just said "It's not a rat. Hello Mr. Opossum".  Trapped in a tall trash can, he was unharmed and set free in my neighbors yard.  Relieved, I thought that was our final farewell...
         Three days later however, I had fallen asleep on the sofa in my living room, and at 4 in the morning, Einstein was back to making friends.  However his affection was unrequited, and I woke up to a hissing Mr. Opossum again.  Being in a state of confusion, I grabbed my all too friendly cat, and stood on the porch.  Going in and out, trying to figure out how to remove the opossum, who this time wasn't so still, and was running around my apartment from room to room until 10 am.  Finally a neighbor came over to try to help me trap him again, but after 20 minutes of searching we couldn't find him, and since they are nocturnal animals, we figured he had just gone back under the house, or however he had gotten in.  So as I continue to try to pack up my apartment, as it was moving day, I heard a loud thud behind me.
          We had been searching all the dark corners of my apartment, but didn't look in the sunniest part of the whole house, my bedroom window.  He had gotten behind the blinds and had fallen from the highest sill to the lower window sill and was trying to get comfy for a good day's sleep.  My landlord had come over to try to figure out how my new roommate was getting in, and together we slowly nudged him, with a broom handle, out the window onto the outdoor sill, closing the window behind him.  He slept there, curled up with his paw over his long pink nose.  Isn't amazing how at 4 in the morning he can seem so vicious, and by 10 am, he's cute and cuddly.  Once again, I said my goodbyes...
          Everything finally was moved out of my apartment, with the help of some amazing people, and with only a few random boxes left, I was loading up my car, but as I picked one up, you would never guess who was curled up behind it.  No longer shocked, or even surprised, I just laughed.  Mr. Opossum had apparently been enjoying the air conditioning all  night, and I hadn't even realized it the whole day!  But Doug to the rescue this time, who was fortunately close to my apartment at the time  and called at just the right moment.  He and his roommate came over and removed the little guy from my apartment for hopefully the last time. They put him in the truck bed,  and dropped him off at the park.  So I wish you well Mr. Opossum, and I hope you're enjoying your new residence!
         But Hey, who doesn't enjoy a little indoor wildlife...