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This was taken the evening of 8/19/02 and it's the first possum I've seen out there in a few weeks...since the raccoons began descending en masse on my little Friskies delicatessen.  It's also the ugliest possum I've seen.  This, amazingly, was his good side.

Later the same evening, six (count 'em — six) raccoons feasted on what the possum didn't touch.  As they were leaving, most of them climbed up into a rubber tree that is rooted in my neighbors' yard but which hangs over into mine.  I ran outside with a flashlight and the digital camera and snapped a bunch of pics from about two feet away.  These guys are getting to be good models, don't you think?

All right, let me tell you what you're looking at here: The possum at left is the one in the top picture on this page.  He's a rather scruffy, slow-moving creature who appears to be injured or otherwise incapable of quick action.  Every once in a while lately, he shows up on the back step and if there's no food out, he merely waits until he's served.  He takes his time eating, then lumbers off.  The cat at right is pretty much a stranger...one we've only seen a couple of times before.  This particular evening, the cat came for the food but seemed more interested in staring at the other diner.  He'd take a bite of chow, stare at the possum for a while, then take another bite of food and so on.  The cat didn't really feast until after the possum had his fill and wandered off.  I may have to institute a cover charge for the entertainment...

The raccoons' main route into my yard is through a hole in a fence.  Here's one of them peeking in to see if the coast is clear.

Okay, I cheated a bit: These shots of a big spider were not taken in My Backyard.  They were taken on My Front Porch.  This fellow had constructed a web that was a true work of art but, alas, it was situated such that I couldn't light it well enough to show you.  So you'll have to settle for these shots of the artisan.

Another possum, another pussycat.  The reflection of the camera flash creates a false impression here.  The cat really doesn't have adorable baby blue eyes.  But I do.

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