The Great Skunk Caper

I love to mow the grass. 

 In Deltaville, we have a plot of land with nothing on it we call "the plowed field". 

I'm not sure why we call it that since I don't think it's ever been plowed... at least not in the last 40-50 decades. Anyway, whenever we were in Deltaville, I loved the job of cutting the plowed field. 

It meant I got to "drive" the riding lawn mower.

One evening while mowing, I noticed what I thought was a black and white trash bag blowing across the far end of the field.

Of course being the nature conscious kid I was, I went to retrieve the trash so I could throw it away when I went back to the house.

As I drew closer, I realized it wasn't a bag at all but some kind of animal.  "PUPPIES!" I thought, "and I'll have to keep them and raise them because they have no mother!"  I was very excited at the prospect of becoming the surrogate mother to some little furry baby black and white puppies.

Imagine my surprise, disappointment and sheer terror when I realized- not puppies- mamma skunk and babies!  I had been told that if you got sprayed by a skunk in the face, it would blind you for life.  Not to mention the smell that would never go away and that I'd have to live outside for weeks (this information was furnished by my male cousins and had to be the gospel truth because they were older and wiser).

So I circled the wagons so to speak.

And kept circling in my tight circle round and round and round.  The skunks paid no attention to me and seemed to have moved off to their den, but I knew better.  I knew those mamma skunks were like grizzlies and if their babies were bothered they would attack.  I was terrified to drive the tractor back to the house because that skunk could be lurking in the tall grass- or up a pole waiting to pounce.

Eventually it got dark.

And Dad starting to wonder where in the world I was.

So he walked up to the field.

And there I was, driving in circles and crying and yelling for help. 

All in all it ended well. 

I survived.