Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Murfreesboro's Altiplano

Up on Murfreesboro's "altiplano" - (otherwise known as secret place #1) I watched the sunset and the day turn to night.

Here, at the edge of a 300' cliff I watched the sunset, saw the local herd of wild mountain goats, walked around at night under a nearly full moon listening to the frogs and whippoorwills while looking down at the city lights below at my feet.





While standing for some time in the same spot, I was approached by a medium sized dark furry creature resembling a wolverine or a tasmanian devil.


It must not have seen me, and when I moved it immediately started growling. We circled each other in a primal 'dance of defense' before the animal ran off into a boulder field.

I then took out my camera and chased it. What the hell was that animal?

I got one distant photo of the creature. It turned out to be an extremely large possum with dark, almost black fur. About the ugliest possum I've ever seen. They are notable for their bad vision so that explains why it didn't see me standing there and almost ran into me. I'm glad I was standing and not sitting down.


It was a gorgeous night up on the altiplano, the Murfreesboro highlands ... thanks to the mobility provided by my Sherpa.

These are the 'light days' - the longest days of the year. I just love this time of year.

Enjoy!!

1 comment:

Lisa said...

Those have to be the most disgusting animals around here.

I would have screamed bloody murder if that happened to me.