Slow Recovery

In case you didn't get the memo, living in the country has it's downsides.  Unlike all my friends who have NICE critters like deer, chipmunks, hummingbirds and lovely flora, I have skunks.  BIG skunks!!  Yes I saw all those holes dug in my flowerbeds, but I REALLY thought they were from cats ... or maybe Miss Jessie, since she's a terrier who loves to dig.

So here's MY skunk!!  I discovered this yesterday when I recaptured my phone.  When I threw the biggest shovel I had at the thing as it was coming towards me, my phone went flying.  Don't ask me why I had my phone in my hand.

Recovery has been slow, to say the least.  I turned on every candley-smelly thing I had to try and remove the lovely odor from my house.  I replaced every AC filter, opened every door, blocked the exits so the dogs wouldn't get out and turned on the big AC fan.  Luckily it was a cool 65 degrees out.  I also turned on every ceiling fan I had.

Two baths later, Miss Jessie smelled .... well, not so good, but at least not as bad.  Just as I was feeling confident I had surpassed the pivot point of awful, I walked into my sewing room, full to the brim with nice soft fabric that absorbs smell.  OMG!!!!  

I forced open two windows that have never been opened in eleven years, breaking two fingernails.  Turning on the ceiling fan resulted in paper and fabric flying all around the room, but I didn't care.  I shut the door.  Maybe I'll sew tomorrow.

With cowboy boots, a huge shovel and my gun, I proceeded to stalk the critter in the back two acres.  I guess he's been having a blast for some time.  These guys dig holes looking for insects and worms.  The back yard was a mine trap FULL of big holes.  

I stabbed bunches of grass and stomped through the knee high weeds.  NOTHING.  That's probably a good thing.  I did find a very loose board on the back wall that I'm sure was his pathway to heaven.  One big hammer and twenty five nails later, he won't be coming through there.

I was NOT so lucky on the other side.  Many boards are loose and one broken enough I'm sure it could slip through.  I called the neighbor to PLEASE repair them since the boards on actually on THEIR side of the fence.  Of course she did nothing.  Late last night, I gathered every stick, old piece of firewood and rotten pallet I could find and stacked them against the wall.  

Unfortunately for Jessie, two more baths were forthcoming with hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and Dawn.  That seemed to work pretty well until she dried off.  I could SEE the aroma curling over her head.  Finally someone suggested taking essential oil (which I amazingly found in my spice drawer .. no idea WHERE that came from) along with hand cream and rubbing it all over her.  

Again, that worked until her body heat dried it up.  Come bed time, Cooper and I snuck out of the living room, leaving her asleep on the couch.  I was exhausted and ready for a good night's sleep.  Until I opened my closet door.  OMG OMG!!!  It has an air vent ..... you know what that means ..... all my clothes smell like SKUNK!!!  I give .... Uncle Uncle .... I couldn't be more beat down!!

I plugged in another smelly thingy, turned on a fan in the closet and went to bed.  Thankfully I didn't have any nightmares of being attacked by a giant skunk, but I did wake up smelling one.  Apparently washing my hands twelve times after Jessie's baths wasn't enough.

Doesn't she look sweet?  That red tinge is from the tomato puree.  If you ever need hair dye, it works quite well.

So this morning I tromped around the edge of the yard with flashlight in one hand and gun in the other.  I'm not messing around any more!!  Lucky for the skunk, he will live another day in someone ELSE'S yard.  

I have a hair appointment this morning .... won't SHE be surprised when she smells ME!!!!!