Mulched Possum

Monday was a beautiful day in Alabama, clear blue sunny skies, temperature around 70F, only a slight breeze.  So I decided to spend the afternoon mulching up some of the very thick layer of oak leaves which has covered our yard since October.  I have a mulcher, but I was just using the push mower and mulching them pretty much in place.  Late in the afternoon I was trying to get my riding mower started (getting ready for spring, since some of the crocuses are already blooming) when I heard something moving around in the mulcher, and I knew it wasn't the cat.  It was this rather large possum.  I tried and tried to scare him out of there, but he felt pretty secure down the chute in his little plastic and steel den and he would not budge.  I dragged the mulcher outside near the woods and lowered the chute so he could just walk out, but no luck.  I left it there, and he was gone the next morning, hopefully to some more appropriate den.