Can you guess who I am?

I am not yet 45 years old but already I have taken the nation by storm.

I am known for my avid love of the outdoors.

I hunt, fish, hike, and camp whenever I possibly can.

I have made my mark in politics as an unlikely Republican reformer.

Of course, I have had to take on the Republican Party establishment.

Not that the Democrats are too fond of me either.

I have a large, happy, but rather rambunctious family.

I have been governor of my large northern state for less than two years.

Nevertheless, I was the surprise pick to be the vice presidential candidate in a crucial national election.

Have you ever heard of me?

Surely you have. I am Teddy Roosevelt.

(Yes, its all over the internet. I loved it and wanted to pass it on. ) 

We’ve gotten used to having critters in our backyard and had even grown fond of the lizards which eat the bugs for us.

But lately, it seems we have an invasion of geckos.

As soon as it turns dark, the geckos find there way onto our windows, in rooms where a light is on. I’m not sure if they are there because 1. They want to see inside or 2. They get warm from the light from inside the house.

This would be okay, even if it is a little creepy seeing them on all the windows, except there are a lot of them. And whenever we open the door to bring the dogs in for the night, one gecko (or more) usually rides into the house on the french door and then is either 1. caught by a dog and ends up being flushed into the sewer system of north Texas or 2. caught by a human and safely sent back outside.

Every night for the past week, we have either flushed or chased geckos back outside. Quite frankly, I’m tired of it.

Anyone have a solution for the increasing gecko population in our backyard?

Tonight Dora Mae was a bit too interested in going outside. She would go outside. Come in. Go back outside. Come in.

After I realized the revolving door on her doggy door (I was watching Sarah Palin with cutie pie Sean Hannity) I put on my shoes, turned on the back porch light and opened the door right after Dora had headed out the door yet again.

On the back porch, laying on the ground was another possum. This one, substantially larger than the ones she caught a few months ago, looks dead with its eyes wide open, its mouth frozen open to show off its ugly teeth.

It gave me the creeps to see it there.

Dora Mae is now inside with the doggy door locked up. Mr Fabulous Fifty opened the gate because he is sure the thing must be injured and will wake up and won’t be able to get out the way it got in. And where in the past he would scoop the “playing possum” critter into a bucket and lay it on the driveway, this one is huge. And scary looking.

I hope its gone in the morning.

In Texas we keep hearing: “Be sure and hunker down!” while hurricane IKE barrels towards the Texas coast and across the state of Texas. Ike, 600 miles across, is a monster.

Our house is full with my son, his fiancee, son’s dog - golden retriever, fiancee’s dog - wiener dog, and one cat. The added fun is stressed while we watch the news 24/7 of son’s home in League City where is neighborhood is a half mile from Galveston Bay. Still no word on the condition of his house.

And in north Texas, we are hunkering down.