On the list of things I'd expect to see outside my front door, I'd put a marsupial near the bottom.
Well, guess what?
Yesterday afternoon as GA headed out to a Willow Terrace (South) block party, I spied something unusual under my bench. Do you see it?
No? Take a closer look.
Kinda cute, huh? Well, maybe from this side. But from the other... it looked like a giant furry rat.
GA freaked.
I didn't know what the hell it was. Did it have wings? Pretty hard to tell, but the thing was BIG-- bigger than my cat.
Could it eat a child? I hustled Little Avenger (LA) back inside the house. And called a friend.
"There's a giant RAT-thing lurking outside my house! It's enormous! Huge! Gigantic!..."
He told me to calm down and call Animal Control. Good idea. So I did.
Animal Control listened as the critter got progressively bigger and more threatening in my description, then politely told me they couldn't remove it unless it was inside my house! What the hell? I'd have to invite it in for a cup of tea to get rid of it? I begged the woman on the phone to come over and look at it. Just look.
"You know", I said "It's pretty furry for a rat. Looks like a chinchilla rat".
"Oh. It must be a possum".
A possum? In Hoboken? She told me there was a large population of them here. Who knew?
While I waited, I Googled some fascinating possum-facts. Did you know possum are the only marsupial native to North America? Did you know that they play dead when in danger? (Hence the expression 'to play possum') Did you know they can do simple Algebra? (I made that up).
Here's the nice Animal Control lady who did in fact, remove the critter because it appeared to be sick. She's got it in the carrier.
Now, in spite of wanting to oust it, GA was concerned about it's fate. The Animal Control lady said it would go to a 'rehabilitation center'. Like a Betty Ford clinic for possum?
Buh-bye, furry little critter with a rat-like tail.
What a relief. That possum was about 6 inches too close to my front door. Now, onto the block party!
Lots of food, goodies, beer, wine, sangria (GA's conrtribution), kids' activities, a band- they went indoors after it started raining but their music poured into the street... and a cameo appearance by candidate for Assembly Ravi Bhalla (VOTE for Ravi next Tuesday on Column C).
Some pics:
OK, folks. Let me remind you once again: polls are open next Tuesday from 6 am - 8 pm. Please vote for our Democrats on Column C. Support Ravi and your column C committee-persons.
This is about continuing the push for clean government, diminishing the of influence of OUTSIDE MONEY in our town, and the kind of progressive policies we've seen under Mayor Zimmer. Not to mention lowering taxes RESPONSIBLY.
I know, the post is supposed to be about a possum. So sue me.
Well, guess what?
Yesterday afternoon as GA headed out to a Willow Terrace (South) block party, I spied something unusual under my bench. Do you see it?
No? Take a closer look.
Kinda cute, huh? Well, maybe from this side. But from the other... it looked like a giant furry rat.
GA freaked.
I didn't know what the hell it was. Did it have wings? Pretty hard to tell, but the thing was BIG-- bigger than my cat.
Could it eat a child? I hustled Little Avenger (LA) back inside the house. And called a friend.
"There's a giant RAT-thing lurking outside my house! It's enormous! Huge! Gigantic!..."
He told me to calm down and call Animal Control. Good idea. So I did.
Animal Control listened as the critter got progressively bigger and more threatening in my description, then politely told me they couldn't remove it unless it was inside my house! What the hell? I'd have to invite it in for a cup of tea to get rid of it? I begged the woman on the phone to come over and look at it. Just look.
"You know", I said "It's pretty furry for a rat. Looks like a chinchilla rat".
"Oh. It must be a possum".
A possum? In Hoboken? She told me there was a large population of them here. Who knew?
While I waited, I Googled some fascinating possum-facts. Did you know possum are the only marsupial native to North America? Did you know that they play dead when in danger? (Hence the expression 'to play possum') Did you know they can do simple Algebra? (I made that up).
Here's the nice Animal Control lady who did in fact, remove the critter because it appeared to be sick. She's got it in the carrier.
Now, in spite of wanting to oust it, GA was concerned about it's fate. The Animal Control lady said it would go to a 'rehabilitation center'. Like a Betty Ford clinic for possum?
Buh-bye, furry little critter with a rat-like tail.
What a relief. That possum was about 6 inches too close to my front door. Now, onto the block party!
Lots of food, goodies, beer, wine, sangria (GA's conrtribution), kids' activities, a band- they went indoors after it started raining but their music poured into the street... and a cameo appearance by candidate for Assembly Ravi Bhalla (VOTE for Ravi next Tuesday on Column C).
Some pics:
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| Neighbors from both North and South Terraces. |
 |
| Oh, my Lord... the BEST brownies ever... baked by Julie Steinberg, who's running for Democratic Committeewoman on Column C. Well her brownies are surely a winner. And the secret ingredient? Ask her. |
 |
| GA chats with (soon-to-be) Councilwoman Jen Giattino and Fabio from Italy....and the party went on. |
This is about continuing the push for clean government, diminishing the of influence of OUTSIDE MONEY in our town, and the kind of progressive policies we've seen under Mayor Zimmer. Not to mention lowering taxes RESPONSIBLY.
I know, the post is supposed to be about a possum. So sue me.
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