Here Kitty, Kitty ...

An hour ago, a high-octave squeal went up through the backyard after Teen Girl encountered two possums staring her down in the spa from atop the fence. Charlie the Dog nearly went mad, while hubby coaxed Teen Girl from the spa and into the house where she wiggled and itched, crying out that one of them, "...was staring into my soul!"

Kind of a lot of excitement for a school night.

I grew up in LA where these homely creatures congregate, and when I lived farther from the beach here in Ventura, I caused more than one to "play possum" during my early morning runs. Since moving to the beach, though, I can only remember seeing one a few blocks away. And that was a few years ago. Somehow this has done nothing to soothe my kiddo, who swears she'll never climb back into that spa again.

I doubt that. After the indignation flung their way, my bet's on those creatures never showing their fuzzy faces on our property again ...