Skunk Tailes

Last night I was ready to hit the hay and began my usual bedtime routine. I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and realized I needed to take my pills first, when I smelled THE SMELL. Oh no. This can't be! It was the smell of a skunk and not just the usual wafty stinkiness. It was the smell of a skunk that had just sprayed right outside my bathroom window. YUCK! Ooh, gross. In case you've never been this close to a skunk that has just sprayed, it smells like burnt rubber, that's still burning. The smell is so strong that it can make you heave and possibly puke.

In case this realization isn't enough, I also realized that I had just sent Nanna outside to potty for the last time before bed and putting two and two together means that Nanna was the reason the skunk sprayed; therefore, Nanna had been sprayed by the skunk. UGH. It's 11:00 at night and Matt and I are realizing this has to be dealt with immediately. Nanna is an indoor dog and when I forget that she's outside to potty once I'm in bed, she starts to bark and won't stop 'til I let her in. Bringing her into the house stinky is not an option.

First we tried to find Nanna and couldn't, so I went to the side window which is in the TV room and looked out. I found her all right, skunk in mouth shaking it for all she's worth. I'm betting she was pretty mad at the creature. It is in her bread to kill, so it didn't surprise me. The search began for the ingredients to getting rid of such strong smells: 1 quart hydrogen peroxide, 1 cup baking soda, 1 teaspoon dish soap, 1 gallon water, all mixed into 1 bucket. I was relieved to find a quart of hydrogen peroxide in our food storage, otherwise I would have had to go back to Wal-mart. Then the search began for clothes for Matt and I that we could possibly throw away, depending on how bad it is while we're outside scrubbing Nanna.

Matt went out to evaluate and discovered, no, the skunk is not dead, just badly wounded. So target practice ensued. He pulled out the .22 rifle and took aim. In the dark, looking for a black creature through a scope that has not been sited in in quite some time, the shots began. The first one startled the neighbors horses away. It also startled Nanna. Luckily she didn't go to see what was going on. Several shots later, the skunk was dead. Finally. Still stinky. Matt drug it into the light by the side of the house to take a picture. Proof in case someone tried to make a formal complaint about us using a gun within city limits. Just in case they couldn't smell it.

I put the leash on Nanna and the scrubbing ensued. It was 40 degrees outside, so we were using hot water as not to get the dog too cold or us too cold. As I began I found that the skunk had cut Nanna's nose. Thank goodness her shots are up to date. It's not deep enough to need stitches and should heal quickly. After scrubbing, rinsing and drying, we decided it was time to be done. If only! Then Matt and I had to bathe. Matt decided that second hand skunk smell is just as bad or worse for you than second hand smoke. YUCK! A load of laundry was started immediately with extra vinegar and baking soda in hopes to remove the stench. By the time I was done it was nearly 1 am. Oh the joy.

As I knelt to pray at the close of my day I realized that my lot in life is not so hard. I have many friends going through serious difficulties and dealing with a skunk and some residual smell for a couple days is a drop in the bucket compared to what other people are going through. I am grateful that skunk won't be tromping through our yard all summer. I am grateful Nanna is okay. I am grateful for my sweet husband who helps me through difficult projects like killing a half dead skunk and scrubbing my beautiful dog. When all is said and done, I am richly blessed.