Skunky

The Covered Bridge upstream from us on the Mississinewa


I live in the rural area of my county with 7 acres of woods and a creek running through it to the mighty Mississinewa River. It's been a cruel, long winter with snow that sometimes kept us from venturing on the roads. Saturday night my college kid slid off the road and took a mud bath, despite the ice and snow he had slid on. God continues to keep that kid safe--no injuries this time (this is our kid who totaled our Jeep when he was hit, and who has a penchant for hunting deer with his front bumper.) We will have to check the wheel alignment, but except for the mud splattered from spinning wheels, it--and Bryce--are ok.

This snow and ice and cold has been getting me down. I am soooo ready for spring. Today we actually have sunshine and the snow is melting a little. But last night really ushered in spring time delights--I smelled skunk. I have a little dog whom I have to take out for walks several times a day. Most of the time when I take Lizzie out late at night, I'm not super concerned about what lurks out there. We have coyotes, raccoons, wild cats, deer and any number of more harmless creatures creeping around in the dark. The raccoon are the worst, usually, as they get into the trash, chew holes in our covered trash containers, sneak into the garage, and would kill Lizzie if she actually got ahold of one. (Lizzie's leashed, for her own protection, not anyone else's!)

But in the spring, the skunks get amorous, and they are spraying territory. Yeeeeck. Not nice. My biggest fear is to come around some corner and catch a skunk by surprise.

My niece's Weimaraners got into trouble this way. She used everything to get that skunk smell off--including gallons of tomato juice. For weeks whenever they would sweat, you could still smell skunk.

So, the smell of spring is here. Next, the skunk cabbage down in the ravine next to my house will be up, and that is when I know it's really here.(And it's far enough away--30 feet down--that I enjoy the green, but not the smell.)

But today I'm encouraged--and cautious. We have almost survived another winter back here in the wilderness where electricity is sporadic and the roads unnavigable at times.

(Oh, and I am having clock-lag with this change of time. We Hoosiers are still complaining about being put on that Daylight Savings Time. What a bummer. The cows are with me.)