A Skunk Story

I'm still pounding my keyboard, trying to reach my goal of 50,000 words this month. I'd love to do that, but at this point, any writing at all is better than I've been doing, so...yaaaay for me! LOL

In the meantime, I thought I'd share the little burst of excitement we experienced last night. Now, bearing in mind that we moved here (to Oklahoma, three miles out of the nearest town) from a fairly large city, you'll realize that the closest I've ever come to a skunk is a picture in an encyclopedia, used to explain the horrendous smell I occasionally encountered while driving down some road outside of town.

Last night gave me a whole new take on "that smell." First, my husband and I joined a group of willing workers at the church - our weekly donation of time and labor, to make our fundraiser peanut brittle. Sis. LaJoyce Martin, our pastor's wife, was recounting - in her typical hilariously melodramatic manner - her encounter with a beautiful albino skunk the night before. The white skunk was in her garage, and Sis. Martin proceeded to gush about what a "GORGEOUS creature" he was, and how she just LOVED him. Her incident ended without a stink when her husband successfully guided the BEAUTIFUL animal outside with his flashlight.

We left the church and stopped by my husband's aunt's house for a late-night snack and a game of Skip-Bo. (Any of you still play that old card game?) Just before we started the game, my husband Johnny snapped the leash on Aunt Lottie's darling little Pomeranian and took him for a walk. Soxie Bear has come to expect that every time he sees Johnny.

Moments later, Johnny knocked at the door - which puzzled us, since he usually just walks right in. Aunt Lottie thought perhaps she had accidentally locked them out...until she opened the door. A storm door still separated us inside the house from Johnny and the dog outside, but there was not an instant's doubt what had happened. Peeee-YOU!!!

Poor Soxie Bear! He had encountered a skunk out in the night, and in his usual hyperactive manner, took off after it, yapping and barking. Johnny only caught a glimpse of the animal and thought it was Aunt Lottie's cat - until the little vixen raised it's tail.... And yes, the rest is history.

We all pitched in to bathe poor Soxie Bear - who caught the blast full in the face - in tomato sauce. (There was no concentrated tomato juice in the house.) But Aunt Lottie tells me he still reeks, and she's bathing him this morning in tomato juice. I sure hope it works. As for her house...she said she doubts it'll ever smell the same again. LOL (Maybe the tomato cure is just a myth? I remembered that the heroine in Love Comes Softly had to be bathed in tomato juice after a similar experience.)

So our first close encounter with a skunk wasn't nearly so pleasant as that of our pastor's wife. We're still learning about country life, you know.

So...anybody out there know how to rid a dog (and a house) of that unique perfume?????

Nanowrimo Word Count

This little gadget keeps me accountable...to all of you. I've told you I'm participating; now you can hold me to it! :)