seen him a couple times now in my backyard, right behind the porch, but every time I ran to get my camera he pulled a disappearing act. Now I know these guys can't run very fast, and generally don't need to, as a defense, since most creatures run from them, but every time he managed to elude my camera... until now.This time I just stood in the window and waited, watching him eat. When a car drove by I saw him scurry into my shed. Now he can't really get into my shed like "Oscar" the red squirrel can, but I have a little open addition built on the side of the shed and he ran into that. The addition has three sides, a roof and a floor but is open in the front, and is where I keep trashcans, my wheelbarrow, and such. It appears that he has made a little home for himself among the junk that I have stored there.
I don't know how "Oscar" the red squirrel and "Chubby", the woodchuck that lives under the floor of the addition, feel abou
t their new neighbor, but my shed sure seems to be turning into a wildlife condo. As for myself, I don't think I'm too overly thrilled with the new resident.I grabbed my digital camera and snuck out onto the back porch and tried to take his picture, but it is a really dark and rainy night, and my camera isn't the greatest, so the first pictures all came out black. I then went back inside and got the 1 million-candlepower spot light I got for myself for Christmas, and went back out on the porch again.
The spot light did the trick, allowing just enough light for him to show up in the pictures. Fortunately I have my back porch wrapped with plywood panels for winter, which afforded me some protection to get these very dangerous shots. It's funny how long I just stood there with the spotlight trained on him, snapping pictures, and he really didn't seem to care, at times getting within 15 feet of me, of course he knew he wasn't the one in peril.
He hasn't sprayed yet or at least I haven't smelled him, but I'm sure he's a "fully capable skunk" so I guess I'm going to have to be a lot more careful when leaving and coming home now. The shadows thrown off by my porch seem a lot more ominous now, maybe holding unseen dangers.
The only thing left to do now is come up with a name for him... Pepe is just too un-original...
8 comments:
Are you sure he's a he? I think she's a girl, named Gretel. Hell know's no fury...like Gretel's wrath.
Stock up on tomato juice, Dagoth.
I love skunks! I used to see them all over the place in Vancouver, because that city is positively infested with the cute little critters, but now that I've returned to the island, I miss them -- there aren't any on the island, you see. They haven't yet crossed the Strait, and no one's bothered to smuggle a mating pair over. :)
What about 'Stinky McGee'?
Kimber's right...no skunks on Vancouver Island, though it doesn't really surprise that no one has bothered to sneak a pair over; I mean, who would want to bother!
I like skunks. At a great distance!
Hope you and all your four-legged squatters can strike a happy co-habitation 'cus if you can't I suspect you'll be the one to suffer the most!
(hmmmm...a name. 'Flower'? Kidding!)
Thanks Guys
G - No I have not lifted his/her tail to see if he is a she, nor do I plan to do so any time soon. Gretel's an interesting name but I haven't asked her if she's of German deSCENT...
Kimber - Actually they are kind of cute. If you miss them that much I've got one here you can have. Stinky McGee would be a good name since she proved her worth the other night. She set off a bomb that I could smell inside my house and it's all buttoned up for winter...
Tai - Skunks are always best at a distance and downwind. We'll see how things work out, she can stay as long as she behaves herself and gets along with the rest of the crew. Flower isn't a bad name but I was thinking more like "Fleury" (flower) after the Penguins goaltender, not that he by any means stinks or anything...
Er, Stinky-winky? (sorry, the name just popped into my head...I'm spending to much time with toddlers...)
I've only seen skunks once...in Vancouver near Kim's old house. I was SO excited to see one in person..and yet glad I was safely in a car.
I have SMELT them though. While crossing the Prairies on a road trip, you are almost sure to smell some skunky road-kill.
That is one little guy I hope to never see in my backyard. They look cute and the wobble is adorable but I will still pass.
Good luck getting stuff out of your shed now. I look forward to reading your "The Stinker Got Me" post ;)
Thanks Guys
Spider - Stinky-Winky eh? Sounds like you have been spending too much time with toddlers...:) I can honestly say I've never been excited to see a skunk...
Liz - I've been being very careful when going out in the dark using a flashlight to keep an eye out for the little bugger. Hopefully there will be no "The Stinker got me" post....
Ya, know, I know I commented here about how cute that skunk is. From a distance.
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