'Someone' snuck into our pool last night...

Marty Walsh

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Southern Georgia
Denise and I walked out onto the back deck at 5:00 this morning to have coffee before we each set about getting to work. Denise peered over at the pool steps and thought she saw something...it was still very dark out.

Turning on the rear lights revealed that we had a visitor that had snuck into the pool some time during the night:

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Seems the little critter got into the pool, made it up onto the steps, but couldn't manage to span the distance from the steps to the cool-decking! :huh:

While we were considering safe options to get it out of the pool...without it's monsterously sharp claws destroying the liner in the pool...our guard cat woke up and decided to take things into its own hands/paws:

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He quickly realized he didn't want any part of our visitor, so he retreated up to the deck, where he sat down and watched. I didn't blame the cat...I didn't want any part of the ugly thing either:

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But, it was either hope that it would eventually make it out of the pool safely, without doing any damage, or come up with a way to safely extricate our guest.

We got a trash can, a couple of pairs of heavy gloves, and a broom. I held the trash can behind the critter (submerged in the pool), while Denise coerced it into the can with the broom. It wasn't very happy being herded...as evidenced by the awful loud grunting it did the whole time...but we got it out of the pool safe and sound:

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I walked out back towards the creek on the back of the property and released him. Hopefully he learned his lesson and will keep away from the chlorine filled 'pond' in the future! :rolleyes:

I thought about just diving into the pool, sneaking up behind the armadillo and grabbing it from behind to toss it out of the pool, but a few things made me decide against that plan. First and foremost, I hadn't even had a cup of coffee yet. Second, armadillos are really good swimmers, and if he sensed me behind him and decided to jump back into the water...well, I'd have had to get out of its way quickly, and still hope it didn't damage the liner! And of course, the fact that it was only 5am and the pool water was only about 78, I decided a safer (and warmer) plan of attack was called for! :huh:

In the end, we wound up delayed an hour or so before we could get working, but the pool and critter are both safe!

- Marty -
 
And where's the video, Marty? I'd have given a lot to be there to watch that exercise. Good work on getting the 'dillo out without damage to you, it, or the pool.
 
Great adventure! it seems that your pool attracts many different living beings.

Wacht out or you'll find yourself helping an E.T. getting out of it and maybe he'll won't like the broom and bucket technique and that may start an intergalactical war!:(:(

I wound't like to be in your pool at that time:rofl::rofl: maybe because I don't like brooms and buckets!:rofl::rofl:

BTW I agree with Nancy, where is the video??
 
i told you marty you had visitors

that was probably what left the sign at the edge of the pool the day i left..its about the right size to.. denise has been feeding the plants and worms to good so he had a feast there:) glad you got him out but he might be back so if you feel someone carressing you back while soaking in the pool it might not be denise:D:D
 
AHHHH...Possum on the half shell! :D Generally only seen as road kill around these parts. Bet it stumbled into the pool and got a big wet surprise. It is amazing that it didn't try to dig it's way out, as that's what they seem to do in the yard. Maybe a night light would help?? :rofl: Jim.
 
My first thought upon seeing the title of this thread was, "But I thought Larry went home already?" :huh: :rofl:

Glad you were able to safely extricate that cute little thing. We don't have them things up thisaways. Wow, I write a post about Larry and then start talking like he does a little - this could get dangerous! :rofl:
 
Maybe you should just build a little Armadillo Ramp on the edge of the pool so they can get out after their swim without having to wait for you to come get them out.:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Good solution you had. They are real easy to handle with no danger to you if you grab their tail and lift them up, as they can't lift themselves up by their tail, but it would have been hard to get to it where it was located. They don't have really good eye sight, (nearsighted), so one of my uncles showed my cousin and myself how to sneak up on them and catch them by their tail when I was about 8yrs old, and we had a lot of fun catching them after that when we found one out in the woods. You get behind them and be perfectly still, then move when they move and stop when they stop until you are close enough to reach out and grab their tail.:D
 
Well, no video...it was tough enough getting that thing out of the pool safely, without having to hang on to a camera to shoot a video! :doh:

And Larry, I believe you're correct. That's most likely what left that present by the pool. :thumb:

We'd seen little circles dug in the pine straw in the poolside garden, but never gave it much thought. We now know what's been doing the digging.

I just hope he tells all his kin that the cement pond isn't 'dillo friendly...and we don't have any more visitors... :dunno:

- Marty -
 
I've been having racoon issues lately with them washing their paws in the dog's water dish. Fill it up and a day later it's filled with mud. But I think armored rats in the pool wins some kind of prize. When's the Utube video comin out?
 
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