Dear Diary

It was a lazy Sunday yesterday. The sun was shining, and summer’s warmth still lingered in the afternoon air, but the mornings have become noticeably cooler. It seems that a raven meeting took place late in the morning because flocks of them gathered in the old oak tree just outside my burrow, making quite a racket for over an hour.

Suddenly, six or seven deer trotted down the path, cracking branches under their hooves as they walked. The noise scattered the entire flock of ravens into the sky, where they seemed to mock the herd below, riding the air currents. I watched as they performed tumbling tricks and acrobatic displays, all while chattering away until they disappeared out of sight. I’d give two carrots to know what was decided at that meeting! I always find birds fun to observe; they often make me chuckle with their wild antics.

Later in the day, Petunia Possum stopped by for a chat. She talked about her family for a while, and it seems one of her boys got into some trouble. From what I gathered, he got curious about Farmer Thompson’s garden again, and this time, he ended up with his tail caught in a wire fence! Thankfully, Petunia’s quick thinking got him out safely, but it sounds like there’s been quite the scolding around the possum burrow. Petunia sighed, saying, “Boys will be boys,” but I could tell she was both worried and relieved.

As we chatted, Petunia confided that her mother wants to visit for the holidays and plans to introduce someone special to the family. Petunia seemed a bit uneasy about the idea. She wasn’t sure how well it would go over with her kids, who still miss their grandpa deeply. They had a special bond with him, and Petunia worries they might not be ready to welcome someone new into their lives.

“Grandpa was irreplaceable,” she said with a soft sigh. “He would visit often, spinning tales of his travels from when he was a younger possum. The kids loved his stories about the time he wandered through the Big Woods, or the night he narrowly escaped an owl. He’d take them for walks, and they’d practice hanging upside down from the tallest branches together. It was their favorite game.” Petunia’s eyes softened with the memory. “I just don’t know if they’re ready to let anyone else into their hearts, not with Grandpa gone.”

Then, to my surprise, Petunia revealed that her mother’s special someone was, in fact, a kangaroo! I was a bit shocked—who wouldn’t be? Petunia explained that, despite how different opossums and kangaroos might seem, they share a common ancestor and belong to the same infraclass known as Marsupialia. I didn’t know what more to say, so I just dropped the subject.

But I can assure you, Dear Diary, that her two possum kids will be more than surprised when her new friend hops into the picture! They just may be hopping upset.

Well that does it for today.

PS Dear Diary, I forget to mention the the propper name for a possum is opossum. Both names are acceptable. But I think they don’t want so many to know they are Irish.

–Benny

You can learn much more about Benny and his Whispering Woods friends while reading their exciting adventure stories at:

https://bennysbraveadventures.com

Sing their songs, too:

youtube.com/@bennysbraveadventures

Read their books:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=hong+z+mccormickm