Skunk Scare!

It was a skunk encounter that I've lived to smell tell about.  Coming home late night/early morning after the late shift covering sports sometimes brings interesting wildlife into my wild life.  A couple of weeks ago it was a large coyote half a block from my house. This time it was a skunk that looked a lot like the one above.

I pulled into my driveway around 1:30 AM.  Across the street, by my neighbor's shed, I could see the outline of what I thought was a cat.  When I saw the white and black pattern it was unmistakeable--it was a skunk.  I watched for a moment and thought about heading over for a closer look and maybe a picture with my iPhone.  Then I thought better of it, realizing it could shower me with a foul musk that even a shower couldn't fix.  So I watched while standing outside my pickup truck.

Within about 15 seconds the skunk started scampering down the driveway, and in and my direction.  As I reached into my pocket for my phone, the muffled sound of James Taylor's "Don't Let Me be Lonely Tonight" playing on the phone's iPod speaker startled the little guy, and sent him back from where he came.  So I missed the picture.  Might be just as well.

Timing is everything in well... everything.  Usually about the first thing I do upon arrival at the homestead is let out Beverly, our German Shepherd.  I can only imagine if those two got tangled up.

Dee Dee, my Dad's first dog looking on.  Dee Dee was sprayed by a skunk on Cape Cod after digging under a porch.

Having a dog sprayed by a skunk is no party.  My dad's first dog, Dee Dee, was sprayed by a skunk some 65 years ago.  When Dad tells the story, you can almost smell it.  Take your average skunk roadkill, multiply ten times, and you're about halfway there.  I didn't have the heart, or nose for a messy cleanup like the one he wrote about in Follow the Dog Home.  With that in mind, when it was time to put Beverly out, I made sure she stayed in the backyard.