Dear Dagmar,

Remember that bucket of kitchen scraps I set by the back door after lunch?

I fully intended to have Buddy or your Dad take them out to the chickens – really I did.

But things got kinda crazy making the food and getting things packed up for the 4H Christmas party and I forgot.

At least until Buddy and Angel Girl got home from helping at Awana’s.

Buddy walked up the steps and there, laid across the top step, with his head stuck between the railings – was a possum eating those scraps.

Buddy was startled.

But Angel Girl was traumatized.

Just think about it. You walk up to the step in the dark, humming Christmas carols and you see this –

She’s still shuddering hours later.

She ran into the dark, forgetting for a moment that Mr. Possum might have friends, and came in the house through the side door.

When your dad heard the excitement, he opened the back door to evaluate the situation. But quickly discerned that the possum was not stuck and could easily turn tail and run between his legs and into the kitchen.

Not wanting to explain to me why there was a possum in the kitchen, he wisely shut the door.

Meanwhile, Buddy was still outside ready to become the hero of the hour.

He bravely found a 4 foot stick, and while staring down the possum, he hooked the stick around the handle of the bucket and slowly moved it away from the steps.

He carried it to all the way to the compost pile.

Across the farm yard.

In the dark.

With who knows what matter of four legged critters roaming freely.

All that so that you wouldn’t have a shocking surprise waiting for you on the front step when you got home from work at midnight.

You’re welcome.

Love,

Mom

PS If you want to make Angel Girl jump and shudder just walk up behind her and hiss. Not that I have done that or anything.

Photo courtesy of Piccolo Namek