Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Unwanted Guests


We got to talking the other day about wild things getting into our houses. We have two friends who have had bats manage to get in recently. I've also known people who had squirrels get inside, with pretty disastrous results. It reminded me of an incident that happened a few years ago.

I went to Monterey to visit Kitty and Mike. It happened that Mike was called out of town on business for a few days, so the first night, Kit and I curled up on her bed and talked far into the night. Eventually, we fell asleep there, but a couple of hours after midnight, she sat up and announced that she heard noises in the back bedroom. (This was the room where I would have been sleeping under other circumstances.) We went to investigate.

As we peered into the room with a flashlight, we spotted two gleaming eyes looking back at us. We closed the door quickly, not knowing what was in there. Kitty called the Police Department. In Monterey, Animal Control is part of the P.D. A very nice officer showed up quickly. Upstairs he went, cracked open the door, and shone his flashlight inside. After a few minutes, he closed the door a
nd announced "That's a possum!" adding, with a very serious look and a shake of his head, "I don't do possums! I'm calling for back-up!" Kitty and I looked at one another, and managed to control the giggles that threatened. Officer did, indeed, call for back up, which arrived in due course. Another very nice young man arrived, with his net at the end of a stick, marched into the room, netted the poor possum, and carried it out.

The condo had a flat roof, with a skylight in the bathroom. Apparently
Mr. Possum had made his way up a fat tree trunk and across a branch to the roof, and then fell into the bathroom and made his way to the bedroom.

Could have been a lot worse then causing us a little lost sleep. Could have been a squirrel. They'll tear off your wallpaper and manage to trash a lot of furniture.

The friend I knew had one get into her kitchen. It tore down the curtains, which hit the stove and started a fire. At least our animal visitor was just one of Pogo's
cousins.

13 comments:

Judy said...

How funny! What if you had been sleeping in there and the thing got into bed with you?? Oh, my God, I would have killed myself trying to get out of the room. Years ago when my girls were little and we lived on the farm a snake got in our house. One of them told me not long ago that I grabbed them and said, "Get everything you want to take with you, because we are never coming back!" I drove to a neighbors house for help with the snake.

me ann my camera said...

Neat story but glad it was in someone else's house and not mine. I scared a furry creature in my garden shed the other day and it scared me too! I think it was the chipmunk that is around our feeder area all the time for our garden shed is right beside it. Now before I enter I jiggle the door and call out, anyone in there, I'm coming in!

Casdok said...

As you said could have been a lot worse!

Bear Naked said...

We had an owl fall down the chimney and land in our wood stove.

Imagine my surprise when I opened the door of the stove to start a fire and two eyes were staring back at me.

Slammed the door shut and I don't think my feet touched the ground once until I reached my husband.

He managed to rescue it, brought the poor thing outside, blew the soot off of it and released it into the night air.

Bear((( )))

KG said...

Heh - I have just discovered yet another weevil infestiation in my pantry. I'm SO TIRED of weevils because I have to throw away ALL of my flour/pasta/etc and start from scratch! It's so annoying! But at least there's no flame involved . . .

nonizamboni said...

lol, again and again
Great story!
I was waiting for a train home from work one afternoon and across from the platform a oppossum was sleeping spread out on a tree limb. But your story might have been too close for my comfort.
Thanks for sharing, Bobbie!

Voz do meu Coração said...

your blog is increasingly beautiful, with photos and images off

Unknown said...

That's a possum!" adding, with a very serious look and a shake of his head, "I don't do possums! I'm calling for back-up!"

Crack me up! Those varmint sure cause us a lot of aggravation. Squirrels (especially red ones) are annoying enough when they're outside, close to the house; never mind IN the house. Good grief.

Which reminds me of the time, long ago, when my friend and housemate arrived in her room to find a flying squirrel had gotten in. I wasn't there but in her attempt to get it out of the house, she suffered a bite and had to go get a tetanus shot.

kenju said...

Since I have had squirrels in my attic, and bees in my bedroom floor - I can relate to this one. How awful to be faced with that!

Shannon said...

My mom used to have bat and squirrel problems quite often. Any time we'd go visit, we'd hear the squirrels running around in her ceiling. Nasty little buggers would keep us up all night. I can't imagine coming face to face with a possum, they are so icky...

Unknown said...

That is not as uncommon as you might think. I went on a call where a large deer had wondered into the house. Talk about damage.Thanks for stopping by my place. Sorry but I just now got today's posts up. Hope you are having a great week!

Shelly said...

Ewwww...possums give me the creeps, don't know why.

buke said...

My Mother had Squirrels set up shop in the attic of her previous home in Calgary, Ab. (She has since moved to Vancouver B.C.)

Every night while laying in bed she could hear them running around and digging up there. Some how one managed to get in between the walls and apparently fell three stories down into the basement. Well one day she went down there to do laundry and there was this little fellow running around and having a gay old time.

It really frightened her and she screamed and ran back upstairs and stuck towels under the door and such. What a day that was I tell you!