Skunks, Ice and Happy Holidays

In light of all the holiday parties this time of year:

"I think someone should have had the decency to tell me the luncheon was free. To make someone run out with potato salad in his hand, pretending he's throwing up, is not what I call hospitality. " -Jack Handey-

This past week has brought ice storms that have caused power outages throughout our area. Luckily the worst of our suffering was 4 hours one night without power. Rhett studied by candle-light while I worked on a Christmas gift. It was pretty cozy huddled together with all the candle light...might have been romantic except for the majority of the candles were scented and the combinations of all the different scents: cinnamon roll to sweet pea made quite a stench.

Speaking of stench, we have a new infestation. After a year of battling a maternal groundhog for control over our back porch. We were frustrated to find a new breed of vermin to have moved in. Rhett called me at work at 2am and said: "I have the worst news." I assume someone has died or we won't be moving from Kirksville afterall. "I came in the kitchen just now and flipped on the porch light just to check, and there was a skunk sitting there, staring back. Then it crawled UNDER THE PORCH!!" So now we have a new nemesis, but this time rather than having gorilla paws with claws, we have the spray factor to deal with. The battle has just begun and we still need to research skunks to find out details like:

• If we shoot the skunk, does the stink pouch automatically discharge all of its contents, meaning...is it safe to shoot it if it is near the house?
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  Is there "refractory time" between sprays in case we catch it in our trap and want to take into the woods to shoot it to avoid having an entire skunk stench pouch unloaded in our yard?
• Aren't skunks supposed to hibernate as portrayed on Bambi?

All these questions and many more I'm sure we'll have to find out, hopefully by research than experience...so if you have previous skunk experience pass it on. I think I remember someone recommending a tomato juice bath in the chance you do get sprayed.

Here is our Christmas card. Hope everyone has a great Christmas and New Year. We'll be here because I have to work both holidays...it will be our first Christmas without family so it should be interesting.