BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM

Subject: RE: BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Oct 02 - 04:21 PM

No possums here, but squirrels. One of my daughter's border collies will sit and listen to one nattering in a tree. Eventually the squirrel gets bored and departs on its aerial tramway. The dog will remain at the tree, vainly looking up, for an hour or more if not called. My daughter has cats as well. No problems.

Subject: RE: BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM
From: Leadfingers
Date: 18 Oct 02 - 03:36 PM

Jeepman,keep the Cody stories coming.He sounds lika a smashing dog
and you dont come over so bad yourself.Ta.

Subject: RE: BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Oct 02 - 12:38 PM

Has some great jokes in it, doesn't it? I reread for the first time, last night, after posting the link. I'd forgotten how many jokes there were. Glad you enjoyed it and from what you've told us about Cody, I've no doubt he will just keep getting better and better. Our Merls certainly has.:-)

Thanks,

kat

Subject: RE: BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM
From: Jeep man
Date: 18 Oct 02 - 12:20 PM

Kat, I just read that whole thread. Well said and written. I think Ol Cody will work out. Jeep

Subject: RE: BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Oct 02 - 12:40 AM

Jeep, I've learned so much about the breed since I posted this a few years ago: Border Collie, problem with, but as you can see you may need to really watch him witht he cats, for a time. We've worked it out with Merlee and now all of the cats rub against him and he puts on a look of long suffering and puts up with it, but it was touch and go at first. Also, I've since found out that he is a McNab, not a mix as the first vet said.

Your Cody being so much younger should be fine with the cats, once one of them puts him in his place, but I'd rather be warned than not.:-) Great stories, you ought to put them in an illustrated book!

Thanks,

kat

Subject: RE: BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Oct 02 - 12:17 AM

My wife (from Georgia) always says "grinnin' like a possum." (No Cheshire cats there).

Subject: RE: BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM
From: Sorcha
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 10:51 PM

LOL, Jim. The cats will teach him about cats......and he will leave them alone. Keep up the stories, I love them and am sending them to the Dog People I know that are not Catters. They say, keep up the stories, too! (pleeeeeze, more Cody stories????)

Subject: RE: BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM
From: Jeep man
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 09:34 PM

My wife said I might have to cut down the tree, but he got interested in one of her cats and forgot the possum. He may be a short lived BC if he don't leave them cats alone. Jeep

Subject: RE: BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM
From: DougR
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 07:13 PM

Good story, well told, Jeep Man. Sounds to me like you got a mighty smart dog there in Cody.

DougR

P. S. Cody left the tree yet?

Subject: RE: BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM
From: Sorcha
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 05:24 PM

Is Cody teaching you new banjo licks? That could be why you've improved so much, grin!

Subject: RE: BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM
From: Jeep man
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 05:06 PM

I relayed all your best wishes to Cody and he listened very closly. Then he rolled onto his back, all 4 big feet in the air and went to sleep. I don't know what that means. Probably something deep and thoughtful. Jeep

Subject: RE: BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM
From: Amos
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 11:49 AM

That Cody is first-rate, Jeep. Wodda pup!!! Give him an extra doggie treat for me!! LOVE that tale, and well told, too!


A

Subject: RE: BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM
From: Sorcha
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 11:06 AM

Jim, these are great. Wish I could meet Cody in the flesh. Give him a big hug from me.

Subject: RE: BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM
From: khandu
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 11:03 AM

I have seen quite a many possums in the day time. Maybe they were insomniacs!

My grand-dad would catch them, put them in a pen for several weeks, feeding with corn until they were very fat. Then, they would eventually become temporary residents of his oven, where they would be baked for several hours...head still attatched.

Grand-dad considered it a delicacy, as did many others in the area. But, the first time I saw a baked possum grinning at me from the table, I decided that there must be better things to eat.

Hell, I don't know...I might have missed out on a fine meal!

k

Subject: RE: BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM
From: Fortunato
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 10:49 AM

I'm laughing up here by the beltway in Northern Va and laughs are much appreciated these days. Thanks for this one Jeep man. Cheers. chance

Subject: RE: BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM
From: NH Dave
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 10:33 AM

Some years ago I was stationede at Tinker AFB, in Oklahoma City. A number of my young troops used to buy a case of beer at the NCO mess, and drive out to the "South 40", behind the industrial part of the base to drink or party. One the way back one evening, they encountered a possum in its nocturnal ramblings, Now, one of my young troops was from Missouri where possums are common and he decided to try to catch the critter, but when he reached down to grab it, it grabbed him instead, sinking its canine teeth completely through his tumbnail and thumb.


Now thoroughly alert and angry he began to chase the animal, to little avail, especially as he was bleeding all over his clothes. When he returned to the car, with a handkerchie wrapped around the bitten thumb they decided he needed emergency treatment, but instead of reporting to the base hospital, which would have resulted in embarassing questions, they looked for a civilian source of help.


Somehow the picture of several drunk airmen asking for help for a possum bite did not rouse pangs of sympathy in anyone they encountered until in despiration, they went into an all night drug store/pharmacy, where the pharmacist took pity on the injured man and dressed the bite with first aid materials.


The next day, worn out and sheepish, they shared this instant war story with the folks in the shop and were doing well until I insisted that the incident HAD to be reported to the hospital, and since they had not caught the possum, the wounded hero would have to submit to rabies treatment; 28 daily shots, in those days. Things worked as I had predicted, the young man got chewed out for not reporting the incident immediately, and did indeed have to take the rebies shots, but it still is a good war story.



Dave

Subject: RE: BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM
From: katlaughing
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 10:17 AM

Great stories!! Go, Cody, go....good dog!

Thanks,

kat

Subject: RE: BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM
From: Banjer
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 06:22 AM

One morning, thinking like Bee-dubya-ell that possum take to hiding during daylight hours, I was surprised to see what appeared to be a dead possum laying in the yard as I let my dogs out for their morning routines. They went to sniff at it and of course got no response which furthered my belief that the possum must be dead. I went to the shed to get a shovel and bury the thing. As I went to slide the shovel under the carcass he thought he had carried his game of 'playing possum' too far and proceeded to get up and snarl and hiss at me before rushing off under the fence and into a neighbors yard. His getting up startled both the dogs and myself. They both ran into the house and it was some time before I could coax my fearless protectors back outside!

Subject: RE: BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM
From: Bert
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 03:43 AM

Ah, dogs and possums, what happy memories.

A few years back Rachael rescued two baby possums and brought them home to bottle feed them.

These little things were no more that three inches long and half of that was mouth. Kinda like little Pacmen, half their body opens up when they yawn.

Well, we had to introduce them to the dogs, so that the dogs would know that they were pets and not food.
On the first showing of one to Jacob, our Airedale, quick as a flash this little fellow, all three inches of him, ups and bites Jacob on the nose.

Jacob, big fierce dog, bred for catching and eating small animals, never went near them again.

Subject: RE: BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 01:32 AM

Nice story, Jeep. How fortunate you were to witness it. But there's somethin' wrong with that possum. Doesn't he know he's a nocturnal animal and is only supposed to come out at night? We've been living in the woods for ten years and have never seen a possum in the day time. Have to beat 'em off of the deck with a broom at night, but they go hide someplace while the sun's out.

Bruce

Subject: BS: CODY AND THE POSSUM
From: Jeep man
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 11:03 PM

CODY'S FIRST POSSUM

Living here in the Southern Blue Ridge mountains, it was only a matter of time until Cody,(51/2) month old Border Collie,crossed trails with a possum.Possums are very common here as is evidenced by the daily fresh road kill on our byways. Possums have been around for millions of years,real survivors, but still haven't mastered the art of crossing a road. Chickens could probably give them lessons.

Anyhow, Cody was loping through the small field in front of the house. He has 3 speeds, laying down, loping, and full out fast. He never walks. He is happily playing with and old plastic flower bucket and has eyes only for it.
The possum was crossing his path at 90 degrees and determind to get where his was going. They are always going somewhere.

Here comes Cody, engrossed in his bucket when he literally ran over said possum. Several things happened. Possum snarled and hissed, and acted vicious.Cody, who was in the middle of tossing the bucket in the air,so he could chase it, tried to jump sideways, and instead, fell right on top of the hapless animal.Loud barks and growls and snarls ensued at once.

The pot is forgotten, Cody is suddenly on full alert, ready to defend his home and his master. Round and round he went barking and snarling in his best act as a terible creature, and he would show this possum a thing or two.

Cody did not have a clue as to what this thing was, but he did know that
any forign varmint on his turf, needed to be herded.

Possum had not moved. He merely sulled up and growled.They are not dangerous, but will bite and have a mouthful of sharp teeth. Next move was
up to Cody.

He complied. Jumping in and grabbing the creature by his long rodent tail, Cody pulled backwards.   

Picture this. Black and white 35 pound puppy, kneeling nose down,rump in the air, tail flailing, trying to drag the possum backwards. Where? I don't know and I'm sure he didn't either.Possum is digging and clawing the ground, trying to escape. It looks like a scene from a roadrunner cartoon.

About this time, Cody spots me sitting on the front steps and lets go of the possum's tail so he can bark and wiggle and otherwise tell me about this thing he has caught. Old possum immediately plays dead. Old possum trick. He curls up into a tight ball and looks really dead. Cody now did not have a tail to latch onto. He looks at me for guidance which is not forthcoming.
So he cirles this creature, barking fiercly, growling his best growl, being a real menace to the possum.

I called for him to come and he did. He did't want to leave his possum, but he knows to come. He dashed on down to me and commenced to tell me about his great deeds. In dog language, he is a hero. In possum language he is a loudmouth jerk.

While he is reporting to me, old possum climbs one of the big Silver Maple trees in front of my house. Cody saw this move and dashed off, but not before giving me that, "Now look what you caused", look.

Now as I said, possums are not the brightest bulbs on the tree.This one is no different. He climbed the tree, but only to the first limb,about 10 feet up. Cody spies him, makes one jump to the top of a pile of locust fence posts, next jump he had a mouthful of possum. Lucky for the creature,Cody only had aholt of some soft fur.He fell back to the ground spitting out hair.The bedraggled possum climbed further up the tree.

Cody tried to climb the tree but failed, so he did his best coon dog imitation. He had a possum treed and he would tell the world. Normally he seldom barks, now however, he sat and gave us his best "Treed" bark. This could go on all night. He couldn't see the animal now but he new he was in this tree. More treed barking.

My good wife came to the door and fussed about all the commotion and noise. I said, "Cody's treed a possum". She said "I don't care if he has treed a bear,quiet him down".

Well it was after dark now and the old possum needed a break. So I put Cody on a leash and took him to supper,(drug him to supper is a more accurate term). Cody don't give up easy.

Next morning, the old possum was gone. Cody has guarded the tree all morning, convinced that his quarry is still there. He'll learn. Jeep