the possum doesn't seem to have any problem eating in this position.
in the beginning, she would sometimes announce her presence by overturning empty flower pots on the balcony. now, we are more likely to hear the 'thud' she makes when she lands on the balcony, or hear her moving around in the trees. she's not exactly graceful, and makes a lot of noise.
at first, we didn't know she would visit regularly. one night when no one came to feed her she decimated (ate) gk's chili plants (leaves and all - they never recovered). i'm not sure gk will ever forgive her for that, but i suppose it's like when you have a dog that chews your favourite shoes, or a cat that scratches up the furniture. the next day, he made liftable wire enclosures to protect all the plants on the balcony (herbs, veg, etc) that might be tempting to the possum.
i'm not sure why possum pouches have a vertical rather than horizontal opening. the rusty colouring around the opening shown here is a very recent development, and may be related to the scent-marking that is common when there is a baby in the pouch. if there is a baby in there at present, it is likely very small - .2 of a gram or so. babies are in the pouch for approximately 5 months, and then climb out of the pouch and cling to the mother's back.
possum trivia: if you touch the inside of the tip of her tail, she will curl it around your finger and apply a bit of pressure. (this is another recent development). it's like a possum handshake, maybe.
one more thing for now: if the possum is confronted with a choice to eat something placed on the balcony or balcony railing, or to take something from someone's hand, she will always opt to be handfed.
further updates
possum page 2
possum page 1