Moonlight on ‘Possums

I was out late the other night, when I heard a rustling in the bushes behind the garage.  I froze, not sure what I’d see, and found myself 10 feet away from a large, gray, moonlit opossum.  We had an intense staring contest that lasted about 2 seconds before it turned and disappeared.  I know there is a good number of opossums living in my neighborhood, but I’ve only seen 3 or 4 ever.  They are so secretive, so shy, that they leave almost no trace of existing, and when you do see them they scurry away in a heartbeat. It also doesn’t help that they are nocturnal, and seem to avoid not only daylight, but street- and lamp-light as well.  I don’t know much about these little guys, but they’re awfully exciting to see!