Gold. Frustratingly bad night changed by the magic of your wordsmith powers to joy for your readers. What a gift. Sympathy drawn for all, even the skunk. Thank you.
Well said *Dorothy. Just discovered that you now have a substack column, which makes perfect sense to me. In days of yore as a Pee Dee lifelong subscriber, the order of my reading was you, Regina Brett, Royko and the opinions, sports, then comics - though not necessarily sports before comics and puzzles. Delighted to find you here, yet on the other hand I adore many writers and to pay them all the toll would be to stop eating, or buying prescriptions. We shall see, but so far I'm not enjoying the 'brave new world' brought to us by among other things, broadcast news and newspapers as primarily a profit driven Godzilla. Bravo Connie and crew !
On the eve of freshman move in, my daughter drove our van, fully packed with all her worldly belongings, to say her farewells. And hit a skunk. I smelled it as she pulled up the drive. I ran out in my pj’s, said “move over” and drove to the nearby 24 hr car wash for the deluxe undercarriage wash. Ran it through twice. The gagging smell had permeated everything inside. I burned candles, put in bowls of vinegar, and hoped for the best. Not much sleep was had that night. As if moving your first child to college isn’t stressful enough! We drove to college with the windows open. By the time we arrived, I couldn’t tell if it was better or we’d become desensitized. But as far as I know and to their credit, the lifelong friends she made that year never mentioned that all her belongings smelled at least slightly of skunk.
Back in grammar school, my best friend’s family used to spend a week visiting their grandmother in PA every summer. Each kid got to bring a friend on the trip. The first time I went, their cocker spaniel, Cindy, had bravely defended their yard against the invasion of a single skunk, with similar results as your Franklin. Unfortunately, the internet was still many decades in our future, so several gallons of tomato juice were employed, to little effect. We drove 8 hours from NY to PA in a VW van with a smelly spaniel. One does get used to it after a couple of hours, but it’s still unpleasant. Cindy was the only one who didn’t have much fun that week, as she spent most of the time latched into the screen porch, and the rest of the time on a leash, as no one wanted a repeat performance in the woods, where we were sure plenty of PA skunks were lurking.
Hey, at least you didn't go through what my best friend did years ago. Her female Malamute got sprayed. The advice she had was to use Massingill on the dog. She proceeded to go to the store & get an entire cart full of it. The look on the clerk's face who checked her out (a teenage boy) was, according to her, indescribable.
Our elder dog Tobey, now 16, has been skunked multiple times. Once, it happened right after my son was born. I frantically called the Cleveland Clinic nurse hotline and explained that my new baby was in a house with an animal that had been skunked. They asked if the baby had been skunked and when I said no, informed me they’d have to call me back because no one had ever asked what to do if a new baby is in a house that smells like skunk. Short answer: there is nothing to do and the baby will be fine. But now they know for the next person who calls.
Having been through several dogs getting skunked over the years I laughed until I cried. Not funny, but yes, funny! Years ago family friends had 2 white Samoans, who both got skunked the night before their daughter's backyard wedding. The tomatoes juice just turned them pink. Somebody told them to use Massengill's douche, so Dad goes to the drug store and buys every box on the shelf (those were very big dogs). The cashier gave him a look, and he said "My daughter is getting married tomorrow". But, it worked! Thanks for the giggles to start my day, Connie!
Aug 2, 2023·edited Aug 2, 2023Liked by Connie Schultz
My dogs have been skunked more times than I can count. Everyone says "you'd think they would learn!" Yeah, you'd think! This week they each were hit on 2 separate nights. The 1 dog rubbed his face all over the rug & furniture on the deck so hard that his lips were bleeding. This was on top of a week where we had a flea infestation & a broken clothes dryer.
Unfortunately, yes. I had a dog before these 2 that got skunked regularly. They knew me at the 24 hr Walgreens. I finally learned to stock up on hydrogen peroxide & baking soda.
I laughed so hard yet felt so sorry for you, Walter, and Franklin too. Hopefully Mama Skunk will take her babies and move on.
I'm so glad you were able to finally de-skunk everything (I don't know if I would have had your patience!). I'm pretty sure Sherrod was glad to have been in DC. What a great story! Thank you.
I'm pretty sure I would be crying. I would definitely not have had patience without being angry and frustrated first. Kudo's to you, and may it hopefully, never happen again!
An old rancher once told me that the tomato juice trick was when you were "gonna give up and bury the offended critter. Tomato juice throws off the scent of an early death to avoid digging." THAT was an eye opener. He too had the skunk kit, or I should say the ranch had 4 kits. One as a spare, one at the main house, one in the main barn and one in the bunk house. That rancher was my uncle who never met a story he couldn't expand upon. He would've love this one.
Only you could make a shrunk encounter so hilarious! I cringe laughed oh noooo with each description of Franklin’s travels through your house. Bless his heart.
We had two dogs who had a Close Encounter of the Worst Kind. It’s awful. With the first dog I did my best to wash her then put her down in the basement. The basement of my 250-year-old house is like a large room in the Tower of London, with beamed ceilings and embedded rocks in the walls; it’s more like a cave. She didn’t have a clue as to why we exiled her, she thought she smelled
just lovely! As soon as we got the smell out she went out and rolled in manure on a nearby farm field. Guess she just wanted more perfume.
Oh gosh, this is hilarious…. Thank you for turning what I know (from my sisters) to be a horror show experience, to a very funny addition to my morning! (Thankfully, I live in a condo with indoor cats, so i won’t be needing a de-skunking kit, but I’m glad to know there is such a thing!)
Oh my…as one whose 13 year old dog experienced her first skunking 2 days ago, I thank you for making me laugh(as I continue to fill up bowls of vinegar and place them by ALL of the rugs and furniture!)
I always enjoy reading your stories. This one was a great way to start my day, though I can imagine is was a fraught way to start yours following this incident. Thank you for the great writing and laughs.
Gold. Frustratingly bad night changed by the magic of your wordsmith powers to joy for your readers. What a gift. Sympathy drawn for all, even the skunk. Thank you.
Thank you, Dorothy.
Well said *Dorothy. Just discovered that you now have a substack column, which makes perfect sense to me. In days of yore as a Pee Dee lifelong subscriber, the order of my reading was you, Regina Brett, Royko and the opinions, sports, then comics - though not necessarily sports before comics and puzzles. Delighted to find you here, yet on the other hand I adore many writers and to pay them all the toll would be to stop eating, or buying prescriptions. We shall see, but so far I'm not enjoying the 'brave new world' brought to us by among other things, broadcast news and newspapers as primarily a profit driven Godzilla. Bravo Connie and crew !
On the eve of freshman move in, my daughter drove our van, fully packed with all her worldly belongings, to say her farewells. And hit a skunk. I smelled it as she pulled up the drive. I ran out in my pj’s, said “move over” and drove to the nearby 24 hr car wash for the deluxe undercarriage wash. Ran it through twice. The gagging smell had permeated everything inside. I burned candles, put in bowls of vinegar, and hoped for the best. Not much sleep was had that night. As if moving your first child to college isn’t stressful enough! We drove to college with the windows open. By the time we arrived, I couldn’t tell if it was better or we’d become desensitized. But as far as I know and to their credit, the lifelong friends she made that year never mentioned that all her belongings smelled at least slightly of skunk.
Back in grammar school, my best friend’s family used to spend a week visiting their grandmother in PA every summer. Each kid got to bring a friend on the trip. The first time I went, their cocker spaniel, Cindy, had bravely defended their yard against the invasion of a single skunk, with similar results as your Franklin. Unfortunately, the internet was still many decades in our future, so several gallons of tomato juice were employed, to little effect. We drove 8 hours from NY to PA in a VW van with a smelly spaniel. One does get used to it after a couple of hours, but it’s still unpleasant. Cindy was the only one who didn’t have much fun that week, as she spent most of the time latched into the screen porch, and the rest of the time on a leash, as no one wanted a repeat performance in the woods, where we were sure plenty of PA skunks were lurking.
What a story, Roseanne. I would have been such a mess.
Hey, at least you didn't go through what my best friend did years ago. Her female Malamute got sprayed. The advice she had was to use Massingill on the dog. She proceeded to go to the store & get an entire cart full of it. The look on the clerk's face who checked her out (a teenage boy) was, according to her, indescribable.
Fun to imagine that one, Regina. I hear that stuff works - on skunked fur.
Our elder dog Tobey, now 16, has been skunked multiple times. Once, it happened right after my son was born. I frantically called the Cleveland Clinic nurse hotline and explained that my new baby was in a house with an animal that had been skunked. They asked if the baby had been skunked and when I said no, informed me they’d have to call me back because no one had ever asked what to do if a new baby is in a house that smells like skunk. Short answer: there is nothing to do and the baby will be fine. But now they know for the next person who calls.
Jennifer, I laughed so hard at this. (Sorry.) I was such a nervous mother of a newborn.
Totally fine to laugh! It’s a laughable story now that I have a stink-free dog and a normal 9 year old!
This is the stuff of life. Horrible in the moment but hilarious in the rear view mirror!
Having been through several dogs getting skunked over the years I laughed until I cried. Not funny, but yes, funny! Years ago family friends had 2 white Samoans, who both got skunked the night before their daughter's backyard wedding. The tomatoes juice just turned them pink. Somebody told them to use Massengill's douche, so Dad goes to the drug store and buys every box on the shelf (those were very big dogs). The cashier gave him a look, and he said "My daughter is getting married tomorrow". But, it worked! Thanks for the giggles to start my day, Connie!
My dogs have been skunked more times than I can count. Everyone says "you'd think they would learn!" Yeah, you'd think! This week they each were hit on 2 separate nights. The 1 dog rubbed his face all over the rug & furniture on the deck so hard that his lips were bleeding. This was on top of a week where we had a flea infestation & a broken clothes dryer.
So, Tammy, you’re telling me Franklin has learned nothing? Good God.
Unfortunately, yes. I had a dog before these 2 that got skunked regularly. They knew me at the 24 hr Walgreens. I finally learned to stock up on hydrogen peroxide & baking soda.
I laughed so hard yet felt so sorry for you, Walter, and Franklin too. Hopefully Mama Skunk will take her babies and move on.
I'm so glad you were able to finally de-skunk everything (I don't know if I would have had your patience!). I'm pretty sure Sherrod was glad to have been in DC. What a great story! Thank you.
Peggy, patience is the only option if you’re going to get rid of that stench. I confess I was not singing my way through it.
I'm pretty sure I would be crying. I would definitely not have had patience without being angry and frustrated first. Kudo's to you, and may it hopefully, never happen again!
An old rancher once told me that the tomato juice trick was when you were "gonna give up and bury the offended critter. Tomato juice throws off the scent of an early death to avoid digging." THAT was an eye opener. He too had the skunk kit, or I should say the ranch had 4 kits. One as a spare, one at the main house, one in the main barn and one in the bunk house. That rancher was my uncle who never met a story he couldn't expand upon. He would've love this one.
Only you could make a shrunk encounter so hilarious! I cringe laughed oh noooo with each description of Franklin’s travels through your house. Bless his heart.
Those punchlines came later, Julie. Much later.
I’m so glad you laughed!
Julie, Me, too! : “oh no, he went into the house!” then “Oh no, not up the stairs!” then “OH NO, not in the bed!! Oh no....”
We had two dogs who had a Close Encounter of the Worst Kind. It’s awful. With the first dog I did my best to wash her then put her down in the basement. The basement of my 250-year-old house is like a large room in the Tower of London, with beamed ceilings and embedded rocks in the walls; it’s more like a cave. She didn’t have a clue as to why we exiled her, she thought she smelled
just lovely! As soon as we got the smell out she went out and rolled in manure on a nearby farm field. Guess she just wanted more perfume.
I’m in tears. From the laughter. Thanks for a great wake-up read!
Oh gosh, this is hilarious…. Thank you for turning what I know (from my sisters) to be a horror show experience, to a very funny addition to my morning! (Thankfully, I live in a condo with indoor cats, so i won’t be needing a de-skunking kit, but I’m glad to know there is such a thing!)
Oh my…as one whose 13 year old dog experienced her first skunking 2 days ago, I thank you for making me laugh(as I continue to fill up bowls of vinegar and place them by ALL of the rugs and furniture!)
I love, love, love this! But oh, I feel your pain!
I always enjoy reading your stories. This one was a great way to start my day, though I can imagine is was a fraught way to start yours following this incident. Thank you for the great writing and laughs.