Go Ahead, Laugh At My Expense

Last night, I went to lock the chickens up like I do every night. Their run is enclosed, with chicken wire buried around the perimeter so nothing can dig in, or at least that's the hope. The door slides closed on the inside so they are safe inside at night. Even though the run is enclosed I still close the chicken door for added security. So....I went to close the chicken door. Mind you, I am armed with only a flashlight. I opened the door to the shed and saw beady little eyes staring at me, and some ugly teeth flashing. I pretty much FREAKED OUT!! I didn't scream, though, which was good. The 'thing' retreated under my feed shelf. I was like Chicken Little running around yelling 'the sky is falling, the sky is falling,' because did I mention that Jeff was gone? Yeah, of all nights to attend a 'Mens Night,' he chose last night. Figures. So I started to run back inside. The creepiness factor was really high. Then, I realized that if I left the 'thing' by itself, it could get to my chickens. Yikes! Can't have that happen. So I ran back. As I was running I brushed into a spider web and jumped out of my skin. When I got back I decided it wasn't prudent poking around in a dark shed with a 'thing,' known only to have small, yet menacing looking teeth. So, I got a big stick and went back to look. I don't exactly know what I was thinking I would do with the big stick, since chasing the 'thing' in a dark shed filled with lawn mowers and chickens would be somewhat akin to a blind man trying to find a penny on the bottom of a swimming pool. Nevertheless, I gathered my wits about me (sort of), and clutched my stick. I peered under the shelf to find a possum staring at me with its teeth bared. It was pretty young, judging by its size. I tried to poke the stick under there to get it to come out. It didn't budge. I tried to move the shelf, but it too wouldn't budge. I tried to shoo it out with the stick again. No luck. I considered calling Jeff. You know, something like 'Hey, I know that the last time you have had a night out to yourself was like 6 years ago, but I'm freaking out here because there's a small rodent in the chicken coop and its dark and I'm really scared and I think I might have seen the boogy man and could you please, please, please come and save me?!?!' I figured that wouldn't be the thing to do, so I went back to my pathetic attempt at rodent eviction. I kept thinking, hoping, that the possum would play dead and then I could just sweep him out somehow, but no...he just stared into the flashlight with his teeth bared. I tried a few more times to nudge him out but to no avail. Then, he ran out from under the shelf which caused me to freak out even more, because at least under the shelf he was cornered. Fortunately I had leaned the baby gate (no, we do not keep our babies in the chicken coop) in such a way that the little beast couldn't easily make a run for it. I managed to herd him with the stick out the chicken door into the run, where he disappeared out of sight. I slid the door shut as fast as I could and checked the coop up and down for more rodents. All was well, and the chickens were probably wondering when I was going to stop shining the darn flashlight at them. I started to check out the run to see where he got in, but decided that poking around in tall tomato plants for a possum was not my idea of fun. It could wait til morning.

PS. I **think** the possum squeezed through the 2" squares of the fencing...time to put some chicken wire over that, methinks! I am really glad I saw it, because according to the all-knowing internet, possums will eat chickens. Eek! That was enough excitement for one night.