Skunked!

rain, snow, sleet, temps 2

Well, it finally happened. Trudy got skunked. Which pretty much means Michael, I and our home got skunked. And the car.

Gack.

The day was actually going very well. Long day writing, but it went well. Was on a roll - did almost 3,000 words then stopped about 2:30 - tired. The plan then was to take Trudy out, walk around the pond, get the mail, do the blog, answer some emails, do some chores then have a long, hot bath.

Gack.

We got around the pond, got the mail and Trudy and I were heading for home when she suddenly too off for the side of the house. Yelped. Then came running back, shaking her head and foaming at the mouth.

I was extremely worried - didn't think it was a skunk but thought she might have gotten something that perhaps poisoned her. Didn't know know what - but she was very upset and, as I say, foaming.

Then I smelled it.

Gack.

It actually didn't smell like skunk. it smelled very pungent, very musky. But not the classic skunk. So at first I thought it was something else. I was wrong. And - I made a few stupid mistakes! Like taking her into the house and washing her mouth out with water...in the kitchen. Not carrying that the water was going all over the kitchen area rug.

Now I care.

then I took her into the mud room and started washing her. - Trudy of course kept skaking - spraying skunk water all over. Including me. We finally - and way belatedly - called Pat and Tony who gave us the magic anti-skunk formula:

1 pint peroxide
1 tablespoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of dishwasher liquid

The problem was we only had the soap. So we put trudy in the pen out back and I jumped into the car and headed into town. About halfway there I started smelling skunk in the car. The new car. The new Mercedes. Which Michael loves more than life.

Gack.

At the pharmacy a whole lot of people wanted to help me find my stuff...and leave.

Then off to the post office - and again, express service. Hmmm. I plan to speak to Lise about developing a skunk spray designed for impatient people. It's gonna be big, I tell ya. Huge.

Driving home I decided I needed to open the front windows, then the back. Desperate to get rid of the smell before Michael got into the car tomorrow morning. I was about 5 kilometers from home, all the windows wide open.

then the rain started. And the sleet.

when I got home it was upstairs into the shower, with Trudy...and me. Both getting hosed down. And you know what??! The magic formula worked.

Of course, now the rest of the house stinks. Trudy's the sweetest smelling thing in it.

Such is life in the country.

Off to breakfast tomorrow with Joan to celebrate her birthday. Then Lise is coming over for a meeting, here at World Headquarters. Then writing tomorrow afternoon.

God, even sitting here in the TV room blogging I can smell skunk.

Gack.

Quietude

blizzard, blowing snow, temps minus 14

But inside it's snug and warm, fire laid ready to be set. Coffee on the pine table beside me. Laptop open. Surrounded by notes and manuscripts, books. Michael writing. Trudy sleeping - wet and stinky from chasing her ball through the storm, digging for it, finding it, tossing it into the air herself. Rolling on it.

And today is the gift. No one coming. We're going nowhere. Will sit by the fire or the television, or in the bath. Doing what I want to do.

Rock Cornish Game hens for dinner.

Tomorrow...more snow. More quietude. More peace.

Unless...

As we all know - anything can happen! Still, for now while the blizzard snows us in and throws itself against our home, we are inside with everything we need.