Earl, the undead skunk....

I went out this morning to run a couple errands. As I pulled out into the road I saw there sprawled across the center line a very flattened, very dead skunk. Part of me was sad to think that Earl came to such an end, but honestly, the majority of me was giving a loud Hurray!

When I got home from my errands I gave Gertie an extra big treat and told her we no longer had to worry about going out at night - that Earl would bother us no more. I did not want to traumatize her with all the gory details. As if - I dread the day she actually grabs onto one of the squirrels or rabbits she chases. I can see her coming into the house with blood dripping off her teeth like Cujo!

So this evening I went to open the door to let Gertie out. The sun had gone down and it was quite dark. I turned on the outside light and was clipping Gertie on her leash when a movement at the end of the ramp caught my eye. A skunk. A really large skunk. A very familiar skunk. Earl. Needless to say I closed the door and Gertie's decided she can wait till morning when the lawn is once again her domain.

So Earl did not die in the road. I wondered about the skunk out there in the road. I decided it was probably a rival that Earl pushed into oncoming traffic as a warning to other skunks. I could see him doing that. He owns this territory. And nobody better cross his path - nobody! Maybe that skunk in the road was a warning for me.....