The Violent Struggle

Today at 5 a.m. a skunk visited our home; or rather, had a violent struggle with our dog, Bandit. A horrific dog/cat/animal strangling-barking noise awoke me at around 4:50 am, followed by Bandit barking non-stop. When I thought I'd better go down to see what was the matter, I shouted at Bandit to stop barking--this usually does the trick and I go back to bed. He didn't stop barking this time. Then he continued around to the front of the house, as if saying, "follow me" and barked at the meek little black Toyota Corolla parked in front of the house. In my sleep-fog, I realized he had cornered some kind of beast under the Toyota. The motion sensor lights were on. I rushed into the house to get a flashlight. Of course, the batteries were low, so I couldn't see much, and then I saw a tiny black head under the car, a skunk. It was hardly moving. I threw some rocks under the Toyota to scare it off, brushed rocks under the car with the broom, and still it wouldn't budge from under the car.

I got brave enough to jump into the Toyota to move the car, forcing the animal to get out from under the car. Moving the car back, it did--and almost went onto my front steps. I watched it in disbelief for awhile while Bandit continued to bark at it, keeping a safe distance so as not to get "sprayed". Finally, I went into the house and awoke my son to get up and help me. I realized by seeing the limping animal, that Bandit had somehow wounded it--that was the sound I had heard earlier. I told Dylan to shoot it (since it was already wounded) and he vanished into the garage to get the shotgun and ammunition for it--half asleep.

My mother got up, and said "he's half asleep". I said, "well, he better wake up". Dylan had no shoes on and peered out from the front door window slit with the gun in his hand. I was shouting at him from the front where I had a clear view--but he just peered out. I realized he couldn't see the skunk. I shouted at him, "it's right there at the foot of the stairs". He opened the door and shot it, but didn't get a good shot at it.

I rushed in to get my camera. I told him to go out from the kitchen door (on the side of the house) and shoot it from the front. I was in front and could see everything, having moved the Toyota. He complied, and rushed out in front while I was in the house trying to find batteries for the digital camera. When I came out, the skunk somehow managed to crawl under the Jeep, so I had to jump in the Jeep and move it! Then the smelly beast was finally exposed and half-dead. Dylan had got a shot it, but shot its butt.

Finally, Dylan had a clear shot, and the deed was done. Now I have to live with the god-awful smell of scared skunk in the house, the mud room, but worse, the Toyota! The smell was the worst thing I've ever smelled, onions and just infiltrated every fiber of my house. I gagged and tried to vomit, but couldn't. Not only that, but the insane smell of onions, skunk and horrible skunk poop is everywhere on me! Off the the shower for me! Or, is it my imagination?

I had some sweet orange essential oil and dropped a few drops everywhere, to no avail. Found some insense and put several burning sticks everywhere in the house. Dylan threw the dead skunk over the hillside, but with the smell, it's like it's still right in the house.