Around our house, it does, anyway.

Early this morning – still dark outside – I foolishly let our dog, Desi, out in the back yard and she got sprayed by a skunk. I’ve lost track of how many times she’s been skunked. The first time was the worst – it soaked her face. If the skunk sprays the nose pad, the odor lingers a long time. She retaliated by, um, eliminating a few skunks. She also managed to get sprayed in the daytime (skunks, like hamsters, are nocturnal) twice in the same day! Okay, we were a little slow to catch on but for the last few years, we take her out in the front yard, which is smaller and more protective, when it’s dark out. But this morning at 5:30, sleepily slipped up.

Our neighborhood is obviously full of skunks – there are certain times of year where we are awakened every night by the strong odor of skunk somewhere or another and have to run around and close the windows.

Some years ago, I went out to get the morning paper (I arise anywhere from 4:00 to 6:00 – usually around 5:00 – luckily the paper comes early). There, not far from the front door I found myself face to face with a skunk! We looked at each other in alarm. He was huge! I’m guessing they can puff out their fur to make themselves look bigger. Nothing like Flower in Bambi, I assure you. I quietly backed into the house and when I peeked out the window a few seconds later, he was gone. I think they go through a hole in the hedge to the yard next door – don’t get me started on that.

Everyone in our neighborhood has mature fruit trees, so that’s the attraction, and we’re fairly close to two wildlife parks/hiking areas – less than a mile (straight up the canyon). When I travel out of town and talk about our wildlife (possums, owls, rats, skunks, coyotes), people say, “Oh, so you don’t actually live in L.A.” I assure you I do. L.A. just isn’t the concrete jungle people imagine it to be.

Desi’s smelling much better. There’s some stuff we keep on hand- our Petco on the corner says they can’t keep it in stock. And forget the tomato juice myth. We tried that. It didn’t get rid of the smell at all but it turned her fur pink! I tried a homemade remedy I found on the internet – it doesn’t work. Buy the stuff at Petco. It’s for humans who get sprayed, too.

The house is smelling better but my office got it the worst. The face-off must have happened right outside. In fact, they might live behind my little writing house but I’m not going back there.

As for coyotes, we live on a busy street but twice in the ten years we’ve lived here, I’ve gone out to get the paper and had a close encounter. Once in our front yard – he hurried out through the hedge – and once in our driveway. Really, maybe I need to arm myself with a broom or something when I go out to get the paper!

Speaking of nature … I found this in the yard this week. I know what it is – do you? (Answer to come but take a crack at it if you like.)