The Unseen Enemy
Posted on | February 3, 2005 at 10:42 pm | 3 Comments
This morning, when I opened the door to go outside for my daily walk-or-run, I was greeted with a stench. It smelled like the stench of skunk. For the second time this week. I’ve never actually seen a skunk in this neighborhood, though I did get in a staring match with a raccoon the other morning. That was the first raccoon I’ve ever seen in the “wild”, though I have seen their handiwork on my trash bags many times. Which is why I always wait until the last minute to put the trash out. This raccoon thought he was King Raccoon. We just stood there staring at each other, until finally we both walked off in opposite directions, still watching each other. Them raccoons is crazy critters and mad fearlezz. I was reminded of that scene in Elf where Will Ferrell was attacked by the raccoon, and thanked my lucky stars I got out of that confrontation undamaged. Though I’m pretty sure I could’ve taken him.
So anyway, what’s up with the skunks? I was thinking maybe I had a nest of them in my backyard or somewhere close, but could find no evidence of such. Both days, by the time I got back to my house after the walk-or-run, the smell was gone. It must’ve been a pretty weak skunk, since the smell didn’t hang around long. Maybe it was a baby skunk, or a skunk intern. Maybe the smell wasn’t really from a skunk. Maybe it was the smell of radiation from a nearby plutonium trigger factory or something. Or maybe that’s just the way the outside smells these days, especially when you’ve been inside all night and then dash out into the cold. The pollution has seemed especially heavy lately, but I didn’t think it could smell so… natural.
So I guess it’s either ignore this influx of creatures into my environment, call Animal Control, or go out armed in the morning. If the latter, perhaps I can first practice using the National Rifle Association’s first computer game, NRA Varmint Hunter. Nahhhh. Hmmm, it occurs to me that title could be taken two ways.
Latre.
Comments
3 Responses to “The Unseen Enemy”
February 4th, 2005 @ 7:52 am
No skunky smell this morning. My wandering critter pals must’ve hit another neighborhood last night.
February 4th, 2005 @ 7:58 pm
That skunk didn’t need to be anywhere near your house for you to smell it, that smell travels far. I frequently smell skunk when I go to work in the morning, typically I’ll start smelling it on 6th ave. just before I get to Sheridan and it doesn’t go away until I am half-way to Wadsworth.
Odd you should mention the raccoon, I saw one this morning on my way to work, crossing the street in front of me at 10th and Carr. We also have foxes in the area, they live up near 26th behind the cemetery.
February 5th, 2005 @ 8:05 am
That didn’t occur to me that the skunk smell could be from far away, Lisa. Makes sense.
I lived around 10th and Carr for several years and never saw any raccoons, foxes, or wildlife whatsoever. Maybe the raccoons are just getting more brazen or crazy. Or people are keeping their trash locked up tighter so they have to range further to forage.
I see lots of foxes around here, but was still surprised at that one I caught napping in my backyard some months ago.