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I live in a somewhat urban area.  When I moved in, I didn't expect to encounter any wildlife...or, at least, anything wilder than Mr. Berkowitz across the street, mowing the lawn in his shorts.  Well, I was wrong.  An array of creatures keep turning up in my backyard — a yard which is mostly brick and swimming pool, by the way.  Here are some photos of animals that have turned up back there.  (Most of these were taken through the glass of my patio doorway, which accounts for fuzziness and the occasional odd reflection.)

One day about ten years ago, my then-secretary and I found a scrawny charcoal-colored cat foraging in my trash cans.  I started feeding the cat (which my secretary named Jackie) and was putting food out for years after.  Jackie showed up at least twice a day, usually in the evening, to demand that her bowl be topped-off with fresh goodies.  Sometimes, she only nibbled, leading me to assume that someone else in the neighborhood was also feeding her.  Anyway, she didn't want to be an indoor cat — we tried that and it didn't work — but when necessary, I carted her off to the vet, got treatment for her, then turned her loose again.  It was a full relationship for years until one sad day which you can read about here.

For a long time, no other animals were seen in my yard.  If one ventured in, Jackie was suddenly, miraculously there to defend her turf and chase off trespassers.  But as she got older, her response time got slower and other cats could sometimes be found at her dish.  After Jackie died, I felt the obligation to keep putting food out there for cats like this one.  (By the way: That's Friskies Chef's Blend in the dish.  I tried other, cheaper cat foods but that's the only one that all of my "patrons" seem to like.)

Here's where it starts to get strange: I have this wonderful friend.  Her name is Carolyn Kelly and her father, Walt, created and drew the comic strip, Pogo, which was about a possum.  At the exact same time Carolyn became part of my life, possums began showing up at Jackie's food dish by the back door.  Neither I nor any of the neighbors I polled had ever seen a possum in the area before...but since about the time I met Carolyn, they've become regulars in the yard.  I figure I'm lucky I didn't start dating the lady whose father drew Alley Oop...

This one was taken a night or two later.  In the six months after the first sighting, I'm guessing I saw at least a dozen different possums.  I think.  Possums are like Bruce Willis movies.  Every time you see one, you're not sure if it's one you've seen before.

This is a different possum.  I think.  (Yeah, look at the ears.  Different possum.)  They all seem very timid, freezing in place if they hear the slightest sound and darting away if it persists.  Where do they go?  Beats me.  For a time, I thought they were living under my house but we boarded up every possible access to the crawlspace under the home and it didn't seem to interfere with the possums' attendance records.

Click here to see more of MY BACKYARD