OPOSSUMS HAVE MY HEART

I have an unusual fondness in my heart for opossums.  My family had a toy stuffed opossum that we would tie to a string.  When small kids would come to visit, we would toss the opossum and let them chase after it… only to be jerked away before the kiddo reached it.  We are a rotten lot.  Imagine my disappointment years later when I finally saw a baby opossum up close.  It smelled like death and decay and it was not playing opossum.  Instead, it was hissing at me like a vile creature about to rip out my jugular.  Still, I do have a fondness.  Now is the time that the opossums have begun breeding in woods near streams.  If you want to celebrate opossum breeding (and who wouldn’t want to do THAT?!?) I would recommend reading the book series “Epossumondas” by Coleen Salley.  Be sure to read it out loud with your most audacious, exaggerated, slowest southern drawl!  If you really want to take it up a notch, knit yourself a opossum wool hat.