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Skunked!~Again.

Lisa Vaught
Aug 4, 2015
2 min read

Hello!

We've spoken many times of the wondrous powers of the canine nose...40,000x (at least!) more sensitive than the average human nose, which ranks with one of the poorest sniffers around. That doesn't mean we can't tell when we've been skunked.

Skunked means in the East Tennessee parlance which I speak: “By golly, you'in's must have made a skunk 'madder'in a wet hen! It stinks from here down'in the holler!” Translation: “Wow, guys, seems you have a big skunk problem, one of them has sprayed and you can smell it all the way down to the interstate!”

It happens All. The. Time. It's not one of those things realtors would disclose to potential buyers: “Hey folks, do you like skunks?, are you one of those back-to-nature sorts? Have we got a property for you!”

For the past twenty-seven years we've lived in our home, and we get 'skunked' on a regular basis during the warm months. We've tracked the skunks to a band of undeveloped (wonder why?) land between several housing developments and the main artery to the interstate.

When we moved in, it was mostly farm land, with rural housing developments scattered around. Every few days we would smell the notorious smell, normally drifting our way just as the local news went off around eleven pm. Occasionally, we would find the carcass of a skunk who had tried crossing the main road that led to the interstate. Never (thank God!) did we find evidence of skunks around the house, although it's nearly certain that they have been by.

Bill and I, and our continuous band of pups that have shared our life have wondered why we get skunked every other night at eleven pm. Do the skunks get into an argument? If so, what about? It seems that they've figured out that crossing busy interstate connector isn't healthy for skunks, and it's rare that we find evidence of skunk crossings. So why the skunking?

With our esteemed University right here in town, one might think that in twenty some-odd years someone would have come forward to ask appropriate parties why this cannot be investigated. So far, nothing. Wonder why. Meanwhile, human and canine olfactory organs suffer.

As it drifts off, it leaves a putrid rotten scent that seems to cling to the A/C unit. In anticipation of getting skunked I purchased a scent diffuser: it sticks in an outlet. Hopefully the cheerful scent of apples and cinnamon will start to regain hold in the next few hours. I know Frax hopes so. He seems to enjoy the apple and cinnamon scents, which is why I picked it.

It's hard to drift off to good dreams with the scent of skunks in your nostrils. Frax has awakened twice with bad puppy dreams just now, and I'm sure the skunks had everything to do with it. Skunked. It's a horrid way to sleep!