I've been hearing on the news lately about animals having rabies brought on by the current heat and drought. People should be particularly careful of fox and skunks. Now I can say I've had a run in with both.
I was in such a wonderful first sleep, the best kind, when Shadow began his "I've got something cornered" bark about 12:30am. I listened for a while, reluctant to bring myself to total consciousness. He persisted and I knew I had to investigate. My husband was in his usual "deep sleep when needed mode" so I left him there as I ventured into the night air. Air? Smelly air! Well I had been smelling skunk on the air for a few days now, particularly on the north side of the property when I took my evening walks. Having heard the warning on television about rabid skunks in the area I couldn't help but wonder as I was trekking along with my dogs if a rabid skunk would suddenly appear, what would I do? Rabid animals lose their shy nature when they are sick with the deadly virus. Would one suddenly come rushing from the bushes and bite us?
I took a picture of my injury, my husband refused to help me incriminate himself. He obviously felt really badly as we joked about him having shot me and that I needed to be good in the future because now I know what he is capable of! The man is a damned good shot. His aim was perfect. He killed that skunk with one shot, hitting it in the head. If his aim had been off a hair, he would have exploded the planter or hit the house dead on which would have caused an even bigger ricochet.
My shoulder is fine, it's just a graze as you can see in the picture. It only burned for a few minutes but the reality of what it could have been is what I couldn't let go of. I don't believe I will put myself in harms way like that again. Another lesson learned from country living. And it made for a damned good blog!
The wound I live to tell about!
The dejected smelly dog.
You can see how the shot hit the stone and sprayed mortar on the planter.
I was in such a wonderful first sleep, the best kind, when Shadow began his "I've got something cornered" bark about 12:30am. I listened for a while, reluctant to bring myself to total consciousness. He persisted and I knew I had to investigate. My husband was in his usual "deep sleep when needed mode" so I left him there as I ventured into the night air. Air? Smelly air! Well I had been smelling skunk on the air for a few days now, particularly on the north side of the property when I took my evening walks. Having heard the warning on television about rabid skunks in the area I couldn't help but wonder as I was trekking along with my dogs if a rabid skunk would suddenly appear, what would I do? Rabid animals lose their shy nature when they are sick with the deadly virus. Would one suddenly come rushing from the bushes and bite us?
Back to the present, I grab my father's old metal flashlight and the dog leash, turning on a few outdoor lights as I went. The sound was coming from the front of the house but I thought better of exiting through the front door. As I rounded the corner I saw Shadow rolling in the gravel drive, rubbing his nose and eyes. I knew it was that elusive skunk I had been smelling on the wind. The light of my flashlight revealed this to be so. It was little and scrawny just like the rabid fox had been and it was wedged up between a cowboy boot planter and the corner of the alcove. My first thought was to get this crazy black dog on the leash which he gladly helped me do. He must have been thinking I could somehow end his misery having been sprayed in the face with skunk oil. I got him tethered to the bench in the porte cochere and went to wake my sleeping mate.
I call his name several times, no response. Is he even alive? I touch his knee, nothing. Then I become a bit more aggressive shaking his leg with my hand. I'm telling myself this is not the time for him to die on me, he can do that later, I need him now. At last he opens his eyes and stares at me,,,eerie! I ask him if he wants to shoot a skunk. He mumbles a few expletives as he rolls out of bed and heads for his gun, complaining as he goes about the awful smell.
The skunk is still there and Mickey is dancing around on all fours with excitement till he sees the gun. He has learned that this item in my husband's hand is not a good thing. He retreats far away. The skunk is still wedged in his corner so we are thinking the best way to flush him out is with the garden hose. I hold the weapon while my husband retrieves the hose and begins spraying the cute little creature. Skunks are cute from a distance. If you have ever watched one amble along looking for food with their beautiful tails in the air you can appreciate how cute they are.
This reminds me of a day when I was walking the dogs on the ranch road and I spotted one. He was ambling along parallel to us about 10 feet away, happily going about his business with his head down. I naturally sped up my pace and so he seemed to do the same. I was wondering if he was chasing me, as he appeared to be doing just that. I broke into a trot laughing as I went at the thought of running from a skunk. The scene calls to mind a cartoon from the recesses of my mind. The dogs and I ran as I looked back telling myself "feet don't fail me now". I continued my pace looking back as I went until the skunk was out of site. I couldn't wait to get into the house and tell my husband that a skunk was chasing me, which he was not, but it was a good story!
The spraying of water did not flush the skunk from the safety of the corner behind the planter. I went for a stronger nozzle, one that would deliver a straight stinging stream of water. It did not work either, he continued to cower in the corner. I imagine this little guy was thirsty and the shower felt good. We had to do something because chances were he was probably sick and his name was at the top of the executioners list.
My husband told me to keep spraying the water as he backed off, squatted and took aim like a soldier in the field aiming at the advancing enemy. At first I did as I was told but then in a flash it occurred to me that I might be in danger. He was 15 feet away from the stone wall about to shoot a very powerful pirate's gun and I was spraying from an angle but only about 6 feet away. In a millisecond I responded to my thinking as it was entering my brain, drop the hose and run. I did just that, turning as I went when I heard the boom and felt the sting almost simultaneously. I let out a little yelp and grabbed my shoulder, what the hell was that? I knew instantly that I had been very lucky because the position I had been in a few seconds earlier put my face in the direct path of that ricochet.
I could't believe it, I had been wounded in the line of duty. We left the deceased skunk where he died, tucked into the "safety" of his corner. My husband put away his weapon, climbed back into bed and resumed his earlier pose. I of course lay there in shock. Off to the guest room I went to sit in the rocker and knit, trying to process all that had happened as I sang Cher's song "Bang Bang My Baby Shot Me Down".
I took a picture of my injury, my husband refused to help me incriminate himself. He obviously felt really badly as we joked about him having shot me and that I needed to be good in the future because now I know what he is capable of! The man is a damned good shot. His aim was perfect. He killed that skunk with one shot, hitting it in the head. If his aim had been off a hair, he would have exploded the planter or hit the house dead on which would have caused an even bigger ricochet.
My shoulder is fine, it's just a graze as you can see in the picture. It only burned for a few minutes but the reality of what it could have been is what I couldn't let go of. I don't believe I will put myself in harms way like that again. Another lesson learned from country living. And it made for a damned good blog!
You can see how the shot hit the stone and sprayed mortar on the planter.
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