Armadillos Marching North
Over the last decade and a half I’ve observed a Darwinian microcosom at Casa Pointman. It seems possums like cat food as much as the cats so one of the chores I relish is running off the little buggers and dispatching the retarded ones with prejudice when they won’t take a hint and go mooch elsewhere. Over the years I’ve noticed fewer of the fat slow ones and more of the sleek fast ones (that whole survival of the less retarded thing). And they seem to be getting smarter as well.
Just this past fall I chased a young fast one over ridge and down the bluff to the south. While I was searching for him south the little smarty doubled back and worked up the ridge then came back to the house from the north! Several minutes later I come back and he’s grinning at me as he finished the last crumbs of cat food. Needless to say he wasn’t grinning long. Nothing sharpens my aim like a wise guy possum. (Except maybe a wiseguy racoon but then all racoons are wiseguys.)
What I’m only just realizing is the possums are only fighting a holding action here. It seems they’ve called in the armored units from Texas and they’re heading this way. Too bad they’re still years away from Indiana but then it does give me something to look forward to.