buck
05-09-2006, 05:14 PM
I had driven some of the members of troop 263 BSA the hundred or so miles to a weekend camping on Cape Cod in my trusty old VW Camper. No roughing it for me. Let the boys suffer in tents, I would retire later to my 6 inch b/w TV and watch the Redsox. A troop of girl scouts were camped close by, and very kindly brought over a steaming pan of beef stew, which rapidly disappeared, the girl and boys regarding each other with interest or disdain, depending on age. Later they would all take off into Falmouth for a game of mini golf. The site was now empty except for me and my friend Jan Olchevski, a Polish war veteran, and great scouter. I decided to take a stroll along the camp road in the cool of the evening, when, on the other side of the road coming my way I espied the classic black and white form of a young skunk. Skunks are fearless, knowing they have a unique weapon. I ,on the other hand am not, so I watched that bushy tail very carefully. We stopped, looked at each other then quietly passed without incident.
Later, while we were tending to the campfire, the slider of the VW open, the skunk walked right into the van, took his time looking round then quietly left without firing up.
One of the great tragedies about skunks is that their lack of fear drives them to cross busy highways and get killed. You always know when one has been hit because the smell will be with you a long time. It won't be the one you hit.
It's sometimes amusing to watch a skunk raid the cat's outdoor food bowl. The cat usually has the good sense not to get too close, and quietly seethe with anger. Dogs on the other hand are incredibly stupid, and the skunks know about dog's offlactory prowess and use it to their advantage. A sprayed dog is going to need a lot of tomato ketchup in its bath before being allowed back indoors, which is not much fun in January in New England.
Later, while we were tending to the campfire, the slider of the VW open, the skunk walked right into the van, took his time looking round then quietly left without firing up.
One of the great tragedies about skunks is that their lack of fear drives them to cross busy highways and get killed. You always know when one has been hit because the smell will be with you a long time. It won't be the one you hit.
It's sometimes amusing to watch a skunk raid the cat's outdoor food bowl. The cat usually has the good sense not to get too close, and quietly seethe with anger. Dogs on the other hand are incredibly stupid, and the skunks know about dog's offlactory prowess and use it to their advantage. A sprayed dog is going to need a lot of tomato ketchup in its bath before being allowed back indoors, which is not much fun in January in New England.