At 12:22 AM on May 24, I was working on a post when I heard a noise at my window. I glanced to my left, and there, on the windowsill, was that little guy in the photo above. A baby opossum. I had set out a plate of cat food for one of the strays we feed and this guy had found it. I immediately called him Slick.
Slick is a marsupial, the closest thing the U.S. has to a kangaroo. We used to glimpse a large opossum in our yard at night, but I haven’t seen him/her in a long time. I’m assuming Slick is one of that opossum’s offspring. I grabbed my cell and snapped a photo through the window. He didn’t flinch, didn’t turn away. In fact, he offered me a full front view of himself.
The time he appeared on my windowsill – 12:22 – startled me enough to pay attention. Opossums, of course, are famous for “playing possum,” when they’re threatened. They are solitary, nocturnal creatures that stick around an area as long as there’s water and food. In South Florida, you see them around swimming pools, in yards, near barns, in fields. They somehow adapt to the changing landscape. The females often give birth to a number of young, as many as thirteen, and their survival depends on their ability to reach the mother’s teat.
I read that their gestation period is 12 to 14 days, that the young are weaned between 70 and 125 days, and that they live anywhere between two to four years. What struck me about these facts was the weaning period. Rob and I are both waiting to hear about potential projects and had talked about two weeks – early June – as a time frame. The baby opossum’s appearance may be a confirmation of that. The fact that the opossum is young strikes me as significant, too, since these are “young” projects, in their early stages of ideas.
On a personal level, the 70-125 days worries me a bit. At the outer edge, 125 days –(the weaning period) is about four months from now. I hope that isn’t how long it takes me to come up with a viable idea/proposal for the third book in the Hungry Ghost series – the 3rd sequel to my novel Esperanza – or for Rob to finish his proposal for his novel Extreme Dreams. Thirteen is an important number in Esperanza, so I take that (as many as 13 young) as a good sign. Other stuff falls within that tine frame, too: Megan’s stint (with a broken foot) teaching windsurfing at a camp this summer in the northeast; submitting a proposal for a third synchro book; and a family vacation to Costa Rica.
So, Slick, what’s your message? Huh? Excuse me? Do I hear Go for it from the gallery? We’ve got really delicious treats, Slick, on the windowsill, nightly!
Oh Nancy, you positively made my day! ROFL about the possum in the bed. What a jolt that had to be! 🙂 But, better than Goldilocks and The Three Bears, right?
Hi, little feller!
A few thoughts about him. . .
An “offspring” is a “sequel” of sorts, so his appearance could herald the actual start of your 3rd Esperanza book, Trish. He might have been bringing encouragement to let you know the baby book is already alive and hungry. It’s just hard to see right now, like him.
Also. . .let’s see. . .nocturnal, known for being vicious. . .does that fit anywhere in an Esperanza book. 🙂
AND, I’ve heard two different stories of someone waking up, thinking their cat was in bed with them, only to roll over and see it’s a possum that came in their house via a chimney or dog door!! It has curled up against them for warmth and comfort until the human wakes up and screeches in shock and the possum yelps, “Cheezit, the cops!” and jumps out of bed.
Maybe that will spur your imagination, hee.
Good interp, Nancy! Uh, possum in bed? No thanks! Hmmm. Vicious. Well, yes, that does fit Esperanza.
He will be back. Everything you touch, will turn to gold.♥
Ditto. 🙁 We see deer all the time running across in front of our vehicles from one side of the road to the other, and they “freeze” in the headlights. We turn the lights off and wait til they run on off. The construction is destroying their habitats. They have nowhere to go. On a brighter note, we were driving up busy AIA along the beach, and a Mama duck with about seven babies in a line were crossing the road, which was extremely busy with traffic. It was delightful to see all the cars stop in both directions, and drivers got out to hold up the traffic to allow Mama duck and ducklings to waddle their way across the road. My hubby and another fellow had to hustle the babies along; they didn’t want to move, and Mama Duck was screeching bloody murder from the grass. But the humans were all out of their cars waiting patiently and watching and trying to help. This was so uplifting! The little family of feathered friends finally were out of danger, waddling into the stream along the road and then into the brush. I love it when humans demonstrate such compassion and caring for critters that they willingly stop what they’re doing to assist. Gives me hope for Mankind!
You know, Trish, ‘possums have really poor eyesight and are nocturnal critters; they generally sleep in the daytime and roam around at night. It’s unusual to see one in the daylight. There are several who come and rummage in our trash cans when we put them out late in the evening for the truck to pick up the next morning. And hubby’s brother, who lives smack dab in the middle of a N. GA mountain, has several ‘possums that he feeds. Unfortunately there is also a black bear that comes around up there once in a while to forage for food, but he never bothers people….just makes a big mess. I guess folks think we’re crazy because we also have a family of little marsh mice that we feed, along with our birds and squirrels. The mice are always in danger from the predator birds, however….just the food chain of Mother Nature. They each play a part in the bigger role, and we enjoy watching them all and interacting with the ones who aren’t afraid of humans. Our small brown sea-marsh bunnies have completely vanished from the planet. Until two years ago, we saw them early each morning and each sunset, literally thousands of them everywhere. Then all at once, POOF!, they disappeared. Not a single one has been seen within the many square miles of their feeding areas. Even the WildLife folks don’t know what happened to them. Species extinction of some kind, they say.
This guy was here at night…the flash contributed the daylight! No black bears here, though! I feel sorry for all the critters. They’re habitats have been destroyed. A few weeks ago in Sarasota, one of Megan’s friends and I were en route somewhere and a fox ran across the road,
in a suburban neighborhood.
it is so so sad, the plight of our wildlife – and at what a cost to the world globe for all those condos! [and other developments encroaching and robbing them of their homes and lives]
🙁
It does seem as though you have a friend! I hope you find that he brings insight and good luck with the books.
I hope he returns!
Never seen an opossum in the wild – how great to see one. I read that to the Native Americans the opossum symbolises: “Sensibility; guidance to uncovering talent; gains wisdom; recovery.” Not too sure that really helps!
Actually, that does help, especially in terms of the healing of Megan’s broke foot. The time frame fits. Thanks, Mike!
Oddly, I haven’t seen Slick since that night.
well, and also, it speaks to megan’s blooming talent which will only grow and blossom more once she begins her journey into her adult life on her own – it seems to all fit so perfectly to me –
oh, what a fabulous slick little critter she/he is for sure! and posing for the camera, too! but you know, i’m wondering if this has to do more with megan than with your projects [other projects 😉 ] – it was the first thing i thought of since the possum carries her babies on her back – megan is about to leave home – no longer being carried – and then with her foot issue [fear of moving forward, taking the next step] ??? – maybe it’s about the joy to be had for all of you with this new structure about to be happening in your lives –
the timing on its appearance is incredible, too! and i know it will be back often with all those yummy goodies waiting at the sill!
Your take on this, friend of nica, is something that hadn’t even occurred to me and makes a lot of sense. The timing fits, too! Thank you for the insights!