Evening Extravaganza

It was one of those nights when I should have just gone to bed. But I wasn’t tired. I was stressing about what to wear and how my presentation would go the next day.

I debated heading under the covers but thought I should sit outside for a few to clear my head before retiring. Oh the irony.

The moment I opened the back patio door the dog shot out into the dark and attacked a force unseen. She came back with something obviously in her eyes, and I feared a porcupine attack. I let her into the house and hollered for my husband.

It wasn’t until minutes later that the smell made its way to my nostrils – skunk…

(*Note: this was the inaugural duel of skunk vs. dog; we’re quite fortunate that it hadn’t happened sooner!)

We hastily ushered the poor dog back outside and rinsed her with industrial vinegar and the hose. Not an easy task when the targeted area was her face (i.e. eyes, nose, and snout). After dousing her numerous times outside, we brought her in to give her a good shampoo bath.

Naturally at this precise moment someone knocked on our door requesting a boost for a dead car battery (parked directly in front of our house). Bless my husband for his patience and endearing kindness as he forged outside, again, to help these people at 10 p.m.

Post-bath, all windows had been flung open wide to rid the heavy musk of skunk that somehow seeped into the house. Terrified of smelling the next day at work, I sprayed my outfit with vinegar and hid it in the bedroom – the safe room which had been closed to the pungent scent.

Sleep finally found my husband and I; the dog passed out immediately after her bath.

This morning only remnants of the odour lingered, yet I was still extremely paranoid that the smell had gotten in to my clothes, my hair, my skin (yes even after showering). I gingerly set out to work, watching each passing person to scan their face for any sort of reaction to a bad scent as they passed. There were none.

I asked various people at work to smell me but none could identify anything other than soap. Thank God!

Though our house still offers whispers of skunk-butt, the dog is healthy and happy and smelling pretty good for having been sprayed in the face.

It could have been worse… It could have been much, much worse.

Simply, joy.