John Steinbeck once wrote: “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”

He wrote this after he had plowed his field for an upcoming crop and sliced through a mouse nest with his plow. It also inspired him to write “Of Mice and Men.”

I felt that way this morning when I tried to initiate yet another trapping episode. I thought I had it all laid-out for success.

I still do need to trap two more black cats- Goblin and No-Name. Last night, I  again set up the trap before dusk in the back pasture. Goblin came out quickly. He all but danced his way around the trap without going in. So at 11;00 p.m.  I went out and tripped the trap as I  didn’t wish to capture any wild critter. The black kitten is not the other creature here who recently has given birth.

Got up at 4:00 a.m. and traipsed back to the trap. My intention was to put canned food in the trap (hopefully before the yellow jackets woke up). As I drew nearer to  where the trap was, my flashlight captured the most amazing, wonderful sight.

Mama Possum with six young ones clinging to her back was sniffing around the trap trying to find a way to get in and capture the dry food. When my light hit her, she froze (as did I). Normally, possums are pretty mellow creatures. I’ve been living among them for years- but not when they have babies. She was baring her teeth and preparing for a fight.

I backed off, opened the cans of food and just set them on the ground. Watching her closely, I backed away. When I was a safe distance away, I turned around to head back into the house. I looked back once, her and her babies were gone. Oh my gosh,  what a sweet sight to see wildlife surviving after all these devastating fires Oregon has suffered..

I returned a few minutes later with a tray full of food for her and her babies. Trapping will have to wait now. We have to many wildlife mothers here for me to feel good about setting anymore traps. Time for another plan which is just to gain the trust of these black beauties running around and capture them gently.