We Have Arrived

That's right folks... we've (I've?) undergone the next round of "do you really live in the country" tests.

My first thought when an unknown car pulled up on Monday afternoon was "who the hell is that and why am I opposed to shooting at trespassers?" It turned out to be a friend who was dropping by in their work vehicle. We had a lovely impromptu visit and shared some especially bad jokes that ladies such as I are not supposed to enjoy. (Yet, we do.)

Then Rocky got skunked on Sunday... and the darn skunk chased us! We (Nice Neighbor, her dogs, and Rocky) had walked down to the creek to let the dogs have a cooling swim and decided to wimp out and take the shady road back to the house. Turning at our little swamp and heading up the spur road the dogs surprised the skunk in the little creek below the house. We called the dogs off and Neighbor shouts "RUN! The darn thing's chasing the dogs!"

So, we ran along the main path of the old road all the way to the driveway. Neighbor's shepherd saw us as far as that little meadow and turned to run off the skunk while we headed up the drive to safety. Two skunked dogs were safely enclosed in our walled garden while I took Neighbor home in our vehicle. Mr. Dog was waiting for her on our driveway, hot and exhausted there in the shade of the rose thicket but also looking proud of his abilities.

Three dogs got to experience the trauma of a de-stinkifying bath. I'm glad I only had the one who needed it! The locally trusted skunk stink remedy is 1 quart peroxide, 1 cup baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of dish detergent. Clicking on the link will explain why this formula works. I washed Rocky as much as he could handle without trauma (he's terrified of the bath) so he's not noxious any more.