When the surroundings in which you choose to live in is of a rural motif, you have to realize you are invading the habitats of many creatures. Creatures that were there first. Large and small and everything in-between. You are the invader. In your capacity as an invader, you can become a good neighbor in the neighborhood or be one of "those" neighbors. Hopefully most of us will want to live in melodical harmony with any neighbors of the four legged or two-winged kind. But. Yes, a stinky "but." Then there are skunks.
Do you know that if you talk to ten people, I would bet that at least half of them will have some sort of a skunk story to share? That number grows steadily if you live in a rural setting. One of the best stories I have heard is when a family had a dog they loved. So loved was this pooch that the family installed a doggie door in the back door. A back door that was set against a back drop of a mountainside that was outside of town and in a little out of the way spot. It is a very pretty spot indeed.
One morning the family was getting up and around and something inside the house caught their attention. Yes, the cutest little creature of a skunk had followed the pooch inside. Just to get a snack, I'm sure. Well that started the may lay of skunk hunting, in the house. I cannot tell you the whole story because every time it was brought up, the laughter interrupted the details. The apex of the story is this. The skunk was finally herded into the daughter's bedroom. Next. Catch the cute little kitty. Well the dad decided that if he could just use the lid to the metal garbage can and corner the new tenant, he could somehow take the new neighbor outside. Good plan, right?
Well as the metal lid came down on the skunk it of course did what any self-protecting animal would do. It went into full on protection mode. Who knew a skunk had THAT MUCH SPRAY in it? I honestly do not know how the family finally got the skunk out of the house. But I do know that nearly every piece of sheetrock wall material had to be ripped out and replaced. Oh and there is this. The doggie door was sealed shut!
Where I live, I have encountered a skunk or two or six or more on my back porch. I feed my cats outside and over the years skunks have come and gone. Until this year. Apparently, like I have heard Hobos do, some wayward skunk decided I was an easy mark and she decided to set up camp in my midst. During the summer in the mornings occasionally my nose would come in contact with a new, not so fresh puff of clear mountain air that I am accustomed to. PU!
There were a few rough and tumble discussions over summer between the cats and their new neighbor. But the little stinker really didn't cause much of a bubble in my world. Until...
The other day, towards evening I was out just catching some evening before it got down to the teen digits it has been getting down to. I looked down a sidewalk as something caught my eye. There, hanging on the side of the cat water tub was a new kitty. Out here they come and go don't you know. As I was walking down to see the new visitor something in my pea brain said, "STOP TRINA." It was then that its head lifted and two of the blackest beadiest eyes met mine. Yep, a full-on skunk. If you don't think that put the brakes on my New Balance shoes!
Now I too have another tale of a skunk spraying a dog while we were camping and the dog came into our tent and rubbed on EVERYTHING. So I know what could happen if I surprised the little thing. What to do? What to do?
Well, come on, it's me, Trina. I of course grabbed my phone and started to video her as she drank and drank. That video is on my Facebook page. So cute! I remember thinking, well it isn't rabid because it isn't afraid of water. Yes, that's my thought process.
That evening the visitor was given a new address thanks to my lovely neighbor. Of course in doing so, the part of the skunk that goes over the fence last did leave a calling card that still, some two weeks later, lingers.
And there is peace in my Diamond Valley again.