As I mentioned earlier, Nature decorated the Chrispersimmon trees at the front corner of our property. The decorations go on early, and we usually just leave them up until Nature takes it course.
Zeke has been extraordinarily interested in the two little trees for several days. Every time we go out for a little walk around the house, he sniffs excitedly around the base and sometimes stands up to reach as far into the tree as he can. I shine the flashlight up into the tree, but I can’t see anything different.
Christmas night I found out what was going on.
The decorated Chrispersimmon Tree, Christmas night.
The possum decided to take down the Christmas decorations. He’s way up there.
Is he grinning?
Possums are just unsentimental, and impatient to boot.
Ah-hah! Busted! Occasionally, when I go out to our huge compost heap after dark to throw away the day’s food scraps, there’ll be an opossum rooting through the organic matter. Inevitably, it scares the bejeezus out of me (and probably I out of it, too).
(What? No Friday Felines? I’m a creature of habit, obviously.)
Scott — I saw the possum last night, the night after Christmas, up in the tree again. This morning there are significantly fewer persimmons on the tree than there were on Christmas.
Oh, yes, about Friday Felines … I’m looking for an excuse. We had my brother and sister-in-law down for dinner yesterday and we were sooo busy. Also, since I’m 90 percent retired, I can’t keep track of what day it is. We’ve had to do a Friday Felines on Saturday before, so this may end up like that.
That’s opossums for you. I’ve also watched raccoons climb persimmon trees, in the daytime.
I haven’t seen an opossum in several years now. They used to be omnipresent – scurrying around the house area night and day. Nothing has changed here, they’re just gone.
I’m guessing they’ve been outcompeted locally by armadillos, which made their first appearance here, well, several years ago. Do you have armadillos yet? If so, then maybe the chrispersimmon trees will keep their ornaments.
Always nice to get a good look at who is hanging around the persimmon trees. I’m sure we have opossums around here, but we never see them.
Wayne — We do, indeed, have armadillos around here. I have seen the little holes they dig, and I have seen the armadillo itself at least once. I have wondered whether they outcompete opossums, but so far it doesn’t seem so, at least up here.
Robin Andrea — I suspected the possums were eating persimmons, but this is the first time I have actually caught one in the act. They seem to have stopped eating the outside cat food.