agrizoophobia = the fear of wild animals

When I returned home from Bloomington last night, this was waiting on the steps to my back door. (note: I did not take this picture myself, but it's from my internet searches on possums to find out how dangerous they are.)

Thankfully, some people were outside the coffee shop and informed me that this animal had been lingering around our back door area all night, so I was forewarned. I approached the back patio (on which there is an upstairs and a downstairs door) and proceeded to head to the upstairs door. I was on the lookout, and as soon as I got to the turn to the second little flight of stairs, this exact scary face was staring at me. I picked this picture b/c that's exactly what I saw. Needless to say, I turned around and went in the downstairs back door...shaking and trying to hurry in w/ all of my Meijer bags of groceries.

I'm pretty sure that now I'm terrified of these animals...and of my back doors. From now on I may have to walk around to the front of the building for fear that these teeth might bite me in the ankles. Ugh. yuck. I can't even handle that image in my mind, but I'm pretty sure it's gonna stay there for awhile. I saw online that garlic cloves can serve as a deterrent. I'm gonna have to go get me some of those and just line the stairs with them or something.

I just thought you'd all enjoy this story of my latest fear in life. Tell me you aren't going to have nightmares about this too! Laugh if you want. But if you do, I hope you run into a possum in the dark and it bites your ankles. ;-) (just kidding...i wouldn't wish that on ANYONE!)