We went to bed last night. I was reading Above Suspicion, Linda La Plante, it's unputdownable. Eric, who had finally got his hands on the Harry Potter book now we've all read it, suddenly went rigid and gave me that 'don't tell me you didn't hear it' look I am becoming very familiar with (I hadn't heard a thing). I listened intently then heard the possum. Now for those of you outside Australasia, take a deep breath, pull a grimace while gritting you teeth together, push your tongue onto the roof of your mouth, now force the air out hard. That's what it sounds like. This could only mean I had to put my unputdowmable book down. Eric lept up, dashed to the gun cabinet and pulled out his rifle. I found the torch and scanned the trees outside the bedroom windows. I located the bugger, not difficult you just look for red eyes. Eric couldn't get a clear shot and I realised there was a curled up bundle in the Y of the tree closest to us. Eric shot at it, it jumped up, he fired again but it turn and he hit it across the nose, it shrieked out and moved, Eric fired again and click, nothing happened, same again. He then realised he was out of ammo. Now despite his apparent love of killing things Eric is always careful that animals don't suffer. He realised he had to dash to his ute and grab the job rifle in the gun cabinet he has in there. Worried that the animal was in pain he did not waste time dressing. As I tried to keep a light on the animal, I was desperate not to loose it, the torch faded. I grabbed Eric's head torch and as he prowled around outside the window I threw it to him so he could get a light on the creature from where he stood. Another shot and there was a loud thud as the possum fell out the tree. Hurray. Once I reaslised it was no longer suffering I then took in the hilarity of the sight before us (Harriette had got up at all the drama). Sorry Eric, I couldn't resist it!!!!
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