Happy STINKIN' 4th of July!

We did get a shot of the culprit before we buried him...now we have to treat our camera!! Nasty!!!

As many of you may be VERY aware of, we have had quite the problem with skunks ever since we got our landscaping done. We attribute it to the water from the sprinkler system and the mulch in our beds--they love to dig for grubs in it. Now these skunks would NOT be pests if they would simply put the mulch back after digging through it all night, AND if they would not insist on marking their territory or go nuts with their spray during mating season.

I use to feel so bad for these animals and plead for their lives with Dan...but now, I have no compassion. They are EVERYWHERE (I swear they produce like rabbits),I have been awakened to their smell on numerous occasions in the middle of the night (waking to children is enough for me, thanks), AND they never leave you alone (I was stalked on our first family camping trip and again at girls camp this year). Did I mention they are UGLY? They look like black rats with big tails.

Well, one recently staked its claim on our yard, and we began to see the aftermaths of it's stalking. Since last time we ridded ourselves of the skunk with one quick shot from Dan's pellet gun (no stink and no pain for the skunk)-we figured we would have the same kind of luck. We should have known better.

The last 2 nights Dan went and sat on our front porch swing and waited for the culprit to arrive (no longer than 20 minutes both nights). The first night he got a shot off only into its bum before it took off. We thought this might scare it off, or its friends (they should talk), for a bit. However one arrived the next night with no fear. He did not notice Dan and walked right at him.When Dan realized the skunk was not stopping he shot the skunk in the head, no more than five feet from him.

Problem being was that this skunk took a few twitches and a whole LOT of UNLOADING its stink pack before dying. It was on our front walkway only feet from our front door. Dan came running in the house and I knew something had gone awry!

I have run over skunks, and I have been sprayed pretty closely by some- BUT NOTHING, I mean NOTHING can prepare you for the last spray of a dying one RIGHT by your home. I could not breathe. Dan and I both were dry heaving. It got in our noses and in our throats. There was no escaping it, even with plugging your nose.

Dan quickly buried the skunk, but its blood had gotten on our sidewalk and driveway, and if we could see blood-we knew there was more.

So our fourth of July was pretty STINKY if I do say so myself.

We quickly got online to see remedies for the smell (the kids were left unscathed as their bedroom doors remained shut and they were already a sleep). We went to bed that night with the crock pot full of vinegar and baking soda. We dumped bleach on the murder scene. We baked cinnamon in the oven most the evening, lit every candle we owned, boiled mulling spices in pots AND could not find relief. The next morning we built a fire in our pit on the back deck and blew fans through the back windows, continued the previous nights remedies, and went and bought coffee grounds and strategically placed them all over our home. Dan went and cleaned any blood he could find and made a bleach, soap, water and baking soda spray bottle to spray at the scene. Our house smells like campfire and vinegar BUT I am VERY happy to report there is hardly a scent of what happened 2 days ago! Now it is on to the car--

Happy Stinkin' 4th of July!!!!