Get it while it's fresh.......

Been so busy around here forgot to mention the little "gift" I found on the corner of our yard near the 2 way stop. (By the way this happened on Wednesday.)

I was heading out to go to the grocery store when I saw something near the corner of our yard. As I was already in the truck with the engine started, I decided I would just stop and look at it on my way out. I pulled out of the driveway, headed for the stop sign, looked down to find me a freshly squashed Armadillo. Lovely. Just what I wanted, some (most likely) rabid animal in our yard, so all the dogs in the 'hood could come eat away at it, get rabies and bite my daughter. Sounds fun doesn't it. I begged Ruben to pick it up and toss it in the trash, but he refused - didn't want it stinking up the can, plus the little girlie boy didn't want to touch it, even with gloves on.

So there it has sat, with the big black birds trying to pick at it and eat it. All for us to see. Fuuny thing is, is that it's not the first dead armadillo we've seen. I saw one one day on my way home from the store. I thought as soon as Natalie gets off the bus, we will drive up the road so she could see it. Only about 45 minutes had passed, but by time we got there it was gone. Disappointed we started the drive home when I saw another. We stopped and looked at it for a minute or two, since we're from Las Vegas and you don't see things like that back there. As we drove away, we also saw a Possum - to which Natalie said it had it's tounge hanging out, so it really must be dead, then down the road we also saw a dead Raccoon. I've never seen so many dead animals in my life! When I mentioned it to my neighbor, she asked me if I had seen an Alligator yet. I said no, thinking I'm not sure if I would want to either. Ruben has seen one on Highway 90 coming home from work, but Nina told me that occasionally you'll see one on Willowdale, which is the main road out of here. It makes sense as that area is nothing but trees and swampy, marsh-like areas. Ruben's friend Dave said it's a bit too chilly for them to be out just yet. I'm really hoping we don't run into one, as I would run it over!

But in the meantime Natalie is learning about some animals up close and personal. It's not like we'd be out looking at a live Raccoon, as those things are mean and dangerous. Although I do recall around Christmas-time, we had been driving around the block to look at lit houses and saw something run across the road that was NOT a cat or a dog. I was thinking it was a Possum (or Opossum as it's really spelled, but that just sounds weird!) Now I think it must have been an Armadillo living around her somewhere, that while out Tuesday night got flattened by someone coming around the corner.

Ah well, at least it's gone now. Ruben shoveled it up this morning as today was trash day. Thankfully I won't have to worry too much more about rabies, but if it hadn't been for that fear we may very well have touched it to see what it's shell felt like. Odd little creature, it even had a little hairy chin! LOL!

I hear stories all the time about the "country" folks living down here that pick up the fresh roadkill to make some stew. I'm glad to see none of them live around me!

Oh and my spell check STILL does not work. This is really pissing me off. Anyone else having problems with theirs?