Diary 117

Monday, July 13th

Wildlife is returning to our neighborhood with some assurance. Let me explain. Last night the neighbors decided to hold some sort of party and this kept me awake. Tossing and turning at a late hour one imagines many things. What I imagined was that I had not placed my recently-used bee-smoker safely back in the shed, in a place that was beyond the reach of flammable items.

So I got up, flung a dressing gown hastily over my unclothed self, and headed out to the shed to rectify matters before it burned down. I tiptoe across the lawn in bare feet, get to the door, unlock, and then hear a sound to my left. A skunk, very large, tail raised, is backing towards me. In short, ready to spray.

I move quickly into the shed and close the door quietly to avoid alarming Monsieur Skunk. So far, safe. But the skunk does not want to go away. I wait. I begin to wonder if I am destined to spend the night, or perhaps even the rest of eternity, in the shed. I wait in the dark, with the spiders for company, aware that I am clad only in my natty gent’s dressing gown. And I wait.

Eventually it feels as if the coast is clear – it’s a dark night and I can’t be sure. I make a sprint back to the backdoor. Safe at at last.

I relate this to the family the next morning.  They all seem to think it is hilarious.  I’m not so sure. It’s all a matter of perspective, isn’t it?

And the bee smoker was just fine where it was.