Stinky Surprise – Day 729

Stinky Surprise

Everybody chime in with me: “If it’s not one thing…” Yeah. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. And we actually encountered a handful of circumstances today that would fit that bill, the latest (but a mere 90 minutes or so ago) was a most stinky surprise.

You can guess what happened. We were watching an episode of one of our latest distractions (Patriot, a quirky and unpredictable series on Amazon Prime), when Spartacus woke up and asked to go out. Karl did his bidding and opened the kitchen door, whereupon Spartacus took off like a shot.

Now, we routinely try to make sure there aren’t critters hanging around the yard when we let Spart out, but sometimes we forget to check. He’s had a couple of encounters with opossums, raccoons, and deer – but it’s been a while since he’s encountered a stinky surprise. (Thank goodness, I might add.)

But alas…

Good Boy

I could tell Karl sensed trouble was ahead just by the tone of his voice as he called out to Spartacus. When I jumped up and joined Karl, calling to him, I saw that he was trotting up toward the house like a good boy. While seeming a bit reticent, like maybe he knew he might’ve done something he knew he regretted but wasn’t quite sure, he entered the kitchen and headed toward his water bowl.

The skunk stink wafted into the kitchen like PigPen’s cloud of dust as he passed by me. But his fur wasn’t ruffled, and he didn’t have the same ‘look’ about him as the last time he got skunked. Clearly, he’d been in the vicinity of a spooked skunk. But had he been nailed? It looked like he’d endured a ‘near miss.’

I’ve had to deal with these circumstances before, so I knew if he was the victim of a direct hit, I’d have to run out to the grocery or drug store for a couple of bottles of hydrogen peroxide. Sadly, because this isn’t our first rodeo (with Sheila too – she was no angel in her younger years), I knew the remedy of bathing in tomato juice is ineffective. Nope, I had direct experience with this recipe, and I know it works.

Slightly (But Enough!) Stinky Boy – Photo: L. Weikel

Tangential Hit

We quickly herded Spart back outside onto the porch. Walking out the door, it was as if we were walking into a cloud. Precious was on the porch, looking totally freaked out, and Cletus was nowhere to be found. I got down on my hands and knees and put my nose right up to Spart’s fur (a dangerous undertaking, believe me). It wasn’t him; or at least it wasn’t a direct hit. It almost seemed as if he may have walked through the spray after the fact. I did notice his mouth seemed to be watering a bit, but sniffing his head and neck, it didn’t seem to be giving off any greater amount of stink than anywhere else.

The mouth watering worried me, though. While I was glad that at least it wasn’t in his eyes, it did look like he might’ve gotten a mouthful. Ack! The last time he got majorly nailed by a skunk, his entire face, including his eyes, nose and mouth had been drenched. And his stench had been so powerful at that time that I’d nearly passed out while trying to clean him up.

The Remedy

While utterly and disconcertingly smelly, I still don’t think he sustained a direct hit. Although I will confess, I mixed up some of the remedy* (baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and a little bit of shampoo) and washed his face and mouth, and even down his back. Sadly, and somewhat inexplicably, I can still smell it.

Whether it was a direct or tangential hit, the skunk definitely made its presence known. And of course me being me, I am compelled to consider the potential message it was bringing. Skunk is all about reputation – having self-confidence in your own abilities and gifts and realizing that your ‘reputation precedes you.’ Perhaps we might benefit from reflecting on how our self-esteem is holding up?

Whatever. If it’s not one thing…

*Note! You need to be careful mixing these items; it can be dangerous. You should also wear gloves. I learned that the hard way.

Sassy – Photo: National Geographic

(T-382)