We give a lot of updates here, but we don’t tell many stories. I think perhaps we should add in a few more stories for the sake of humor, because who doesn’t want a laugh?

To set the stage, we have skunks around us. To really set the stage, we have a lot of skunks around us. Animal Control will come and remove a skunk for $15, but we’ve seen how quickly new skunks move in after the current resident moves on or is found dead. For some reason, our woods are the most coveted skunk territory in the county.

Anyway, they don’t bother us for the most part; we just have to be vigilant around the dusk hours. Still, the possibility of one day having to put up with a skunk sprayed cat or goat (or family member) isn’t remote.

I was heading out to the barn for the evening milking on Tuesday night and did not have my phone on me. Normally I use the flashlight on my phone to light up the well-worn path from our front door to the barn, but tonight I did not. I made it to the barn without incident, only to realize I’d forgotten to bring the cloths we use to wash the goats’ udders with prior to milking.

So, I head back towards the house to retrieve them. I’m almost there when I realize that there’s something 12 inches from my foot.

It has a small head… a fat body… and a stripe down its back!

THIS IS IT!

I don’t jump easy, but IT’S A SKUNK! I leap, milk pails clang, heart pounds and I wonder oh for the luva Pete why do we not have tomato juice because we just KNEW this would happen one day and…

Wait.

This skunk does not move.

This skunk does not spray.

Huh?

It is at this point I remember picking squash from the garden with the kids earlier in the afternoon. I also recall one squash getting picked even though it was not ripe. And I know that Daniel isn’t all that reliable about bringing things quite all the way inside when he’s asked.

Tell me I’m not the only person who’s ever been scared by a butternut squash.