Went to our local farmer's market

Last night,  like every night, I called to let Sadie in from her last potty break before bedtime.  Usually she likes to run around two times in a circle and then run in the door and off we go to bed.   But last night she was looking at something and was trying to play with it.  I saw two eyes reflect in the light so I grabbed my camera and ran outside.  

Yes it was the opossum!  And Sadie was way to close to it!!!

I am not sure if the opossum was likely to attack or play dead so I start screaming...    "Sadie get away!" 

Eeewwww.. Look at those teeth... 

OK so imagine me in the dark, in my pajamas, screaming and shrieking and trying to get Sadie away from this furry, nocturnal animal with lots of teeth. All the while snapping the shutter on the camera!  I was like one of those adventure photographers that keep taking pictures while the bear is attacking them.   stupid!

SADIE! Move!  Get away from the BEAST!!!!!!

At this point I am worried that this opossum is going to turn around and bite Sadie....  But,  I am still screaming and still snapping pictures!

The opossum is hissing.... hissing... hissing...   It is not a pleasant sound.... 

Sadie Stop!!!  That thing is going to bite you!! Aaaaaaahhhhh 

At this time the neighbors are calling 911: 

"911, What's your emergency?"

"uh.. I am hearing screams and yelling from my neighbor's back yard...  they sound like they are being attacked"

" And a flash of light keeps going off every time there is a scream"

Noooooo Sadie!!!!! Nooooooo!!!!!  

As Sadie gets closer to this creature, I start to realise that maybe it won't bite Sadie and then I realise that in my crazy horror of screaming and taking pictures..... that I have gotten closer to the opossum... Like inches away!!

And then I start thinking.  As scared as I am, I bet that opossum is much more scared than me...   it is small, and it has this dog trying to roll it over, and this human is screaming at the top of her lungs while there is this crazy flash of light going off in it's face!    I mean who wouldn't be scared stiff?

Maybe this poor thing is hissing...  "Eeewwwww get this dog away from me.... it is going to bite me... HELP!!!!!!!  "

And Sadie is pretty smart she is pushing the opossum from the back away from it's mouth...  She just wants to play... 

Then when my heart slowed down and I started to look at it, it really isn't such a bad little guy... I mean look at him/her. Looks soft.... it's eyes are gentle..... and look how shiny it's coat is...  That is because it eats only the best cat food around....  I know this for a fact.... 

So I grabbed Sadie and told the opossum that I was sorry for giving it a heart attack.  

"Please go back to what you were doing before we came outside and messed up your world...    Maybe we will see you again tomorrow night...  "

I am sure it is thinking....  "Man that was terrible I am going to someone else's house to eat cat food from now on!!!!"

 A few weeks ago I found the first eggs and two days ago one of the caterpillars made it's way to the top of the butterfly box to make it's chrysalis..

We have 4 "cats" that have been eating milkweed faster than I can get it to them.

This is tropical Milkweed it is also known as butterfly weed.  This really attracts the butterflies.  It grows normal seed pods that pop open and has the silky hair that carries the seed into the wind.  

This is a new milkweed that I ordered.  They said it was from South Africa.     It has these  white flowers,  but the pods are really different!

They look like something from a Dr. Seuss book, Who Ville.   I can't wait to see what the seeds look like inside..... 

So the Monarch season has started... I am looking forward to helping as many monarchs as I can, get  to Mexico for the winter.  Then the journey starts all over again in the Spring. 

Totally worn out from her adventures of the night before,  (Look at her doesn't even care that she is about to fall out of the chair. )   or she acts like she is starving to death. 

A little while ago I found out what was up with the missing food and her late night adventures....  but last night I got proof....

Lily has a friend..

"Pssst...  Hey Lily... ," whispered the young opossum.  " Do you have any food left for me tonight? "

"Oh hey!"  Yawned Lily.  " I left you some in the bowl.  My person changed the food a few days ago and it tastes ok... the other stuff is better but this stuff is eatable  Did you sleep good today?"   said Lily scratching her head as a small flea ran away from her back claw.

"Cool...  you have a great person...  I slept pretty good..  I sure do wish that dog next door would stop barking at everything that moves.  He keeps waking me up."  Said the opossum between bites of cat food.  He turns the bowl over a little every time he gets a bite and the bowl makes a noise when it falls back down.   " What did you do today?"

"Not much...  laid in this chair for a while...  ate some food,   almost caught that blue tailed lizard (one day he will be mine!) and laid in the neighbor's chair to drive that dog crazy." Smiled Lily.

"You up for coming out with me tonight?  I have a bunch of new garbage cans to look in."  Smacked opossum with his mouth full of food.

"Sure as long as we don't get shot at again at that one house down the street..."  smirked Lily

Just Great! You think you raise your cats right and then you find out they are running around with Opossums all night... 

That opossum is not the only animal that Lily is sharing her food with.    Our inside cat Trixie, who wishes she was an outside cat like Lily goes crazy when this happens:

She will sit at the window and give the evil eye to this little guy...

He looks at Trixie through the window and laughs...  " You can't catch me!"  

But this little guy and it's friends are also eating the cat food.... Let me tell you we have very healthy wild animals around here..

Hi Little guy...  is your breakfast yummy??   

But Trixie hates that they are on the porch....

"You are so lucky that there is glass between you and me... If I could get to you I would have you for lunch!" 

The Squirrel just laughs... laughs...

Good thing Trixie has not seen the opossum... 

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What a nice view when we started our short hike.

Golden Rod in bloom.

Roasting marshmallows..  nothing better!

One of them has all these bites taken out of the leaves:

Something is having a great meal ...

It doesn't want to eat the whole leaf, just parts of it so it looks bad.  

Then one day I snuck up on the plant and I found what was eating it....

"Hello little grasshopper... I don't mind you having a meal but can you work on just one leaf at a time?"   

 He said "no" so I caught it and took him to the back yard....

A few days later I found more bites taken out of my plant...  and what did I find?

"Mr. Grasshopper...  you are still eating only bites"  So I caught him again and this time took him down the street to someone else's  yard...  Hey I don't want to hear it.... I can't kill a cute little grasshopper.. 

But the next day...  guess what... 

He came back.. Now that is determination!!!   

So I give up if he wants my plant that bad he can have it.  As long as he does not invite his friends....  so far so good and he is only staying on the one plant, the other one looks fine.   Go figure!

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