ThayerRags

We finally got springtime weather here, and the wife had the shop door open to take advantage of the cool breeze at about 10 in the morning. The flies aren’t out bad yet, and we get cabin fever just like everyone else. There was nobody in the shop but her as she worked on some alterations, and the door motion detector had been silent, when she got the slight whiff of a skunk. She was just thinking to herself that she hoped that skunk didn’t try to come into the shop, when she noticed movement by her left foot. Her sewing table is about 20 feet in from the doorway.

The skunk was already in the shop with her! She pretty much froze like a deer in the headlights, except her left toe moved just a little, and the skunk retreated back toward the open door but decided to rummage around on a shelf under the backside of the checkout counter for a while. About that time, a customer headed into the shop out on the sidewalk. The wife called “don’t come in, I have a skunk in here!” at which time the customer came into the shop and asked her what she’d said.

The wife got the customer on in away from the checkout counter. The skunk got out from under the counter and hopped up onto the front display window platform, and then headed along the window across toward the open door. Then it turned and headed back across it away from the door. Then it went the other way again. The ladies had differing views on either side of the counter, and neither could see an area directly behind the counter, so they began calling the action that “he’s over by the door” and “he’s back over on my side now”.

The skunk reversed travel a couple more times before finally hopping down into the open doorway, out the door, and on out onto the sidewalk. The last time that the ladies saw the skunk, it had crossed the street and headed up the alley to go liven up someone else’s day. The wife closed the front door.

It wasn’t a full-grown skunk, but it wasn’t a little baby one either. After he left, there was no lingering smell, no damage, just a close call, and a great (true) story. Small town life can be so interesting. And no, she didn’t get any photos of it, but thanked me for asking......

CD in Oklahoma

Cogito

a great (true) story. Small town life can be so interesting. And no, she didn’t get any photos of it, but thanked me for asking......
Great story CD! It sure is nice to finally enjoy spring weather after this winter.....even if you do have to enjoy a little skunk along with it.

francie yuhas

We woke up to the sound of a tom turkey looking for a wife. He was strutting around the front yard!

tessagin

Not only liven up the day but certainly got the circulation going. I would certainly have a glass of vino to calm down the nerves. Has to be 5:00 some where! LOLLLL!!!!!!!!!!

oldsewnsew

A friend had a skunk show every evening for cat feeding time.They all got used to each other

Cogito

That's hilarious!

ThayerRags

This happened yesterday morning (I forgot to put that in my OP). I was at home, and when things sort of calmed down, she called me to tell me about it. Since no damage was done, we had a great time laughing about the whole event.

She said that she is surprised that she didn’t panic and make a fast move that would probably have caused a worse outcome, but she said that she didn’t really know WHAT to do. She’d never been that close (4 inches) to a skunk before. I suggested that she could probably tell by looking at him that he didn’t have any money with him to spend, so she just kept her seat at the sewing machine. She agreed, and will use the excuse that she knew he was just one of those “Looky-loos”, so she didn’t even get up (ha!).

After eight years, this is her third critter that’s came in when she’s had the door open; a dog, a bird, and now a skunk. The dog was just overly friendly and didn’t want to leave, but the bird played “dodge-broom” for quite a while, from one end of the shop to the other, before she finally got him out of there. He lost a few feathers during the fracas, but he flew away mostly unhurt.

CD in Oklahoma

Tartan

A skunk sure gets the old heart pumping! I had one mosey up behind me at the campfire one summer.

miriam

My SIL cornered a skunk in the chicken house last spring. Then he decided to take it out with a 2x4. SIL got nailed by the skunk before SIL beamed the skunk. The chickens didn't like it much either. DD threw out his clothes. BUT to get off scott free??? WOW

quiltingcandy

One warm June evening I went out to our garage to get something and saw a very young skunk over by all our camping equipment - the little skunk looked at me, I froze then carefully backed out, praying he wouldn't spray. So I decided to go to a grocery store to get what I needed. All through the store I could smell skunk, it was driving me crazy because I felt sure he hadn't sprayed. Finally at the check out, the cashier said, the lady ahead of me had her dog sprayed by a skunk that evening and she was there getting tomato juice, but without thinking she had put her dog in the car to come to the store with her. I was so relieved it was her and not me that smelled. When I got home, I did see my little friend walking out of the garage, at which time I went out and closed the door so he couldn't return.

Seeing skunks can really get the blood moving through the veins or stop it all together.