A Pungent Reminder I DON'T Live On the Coast Any More

[jscheck]

When I retired from law enforcement on the coast of North Carolina I'd decided years ago I wanted to move to the mountains. Why you might ask? (Many have.) No hurricanes and lower temperatures and humidity! What I had not thought about three years ago when we made the move was the different critters we were going to run into which is the point of this story. Do you know what we used to have on the coast but no longer have? SKUNKS! Ordinarily not a problem. We see them dead on the road or wandering around at night around here and avoid them accordingly. My wife gives me frequent admonitions to "close the garage so they don't wander in!" Duly noted!
All has been well for the last three years until the night before last when I went to bed around 2300. My wife and daughter were still up. They let the dogs out to use the back yard one last time and suddenly I smelled something REALLY bad and heard a yell from the wife. Up I jump from bed! My female lab has gotten a (fortunately) very light and indirect hit. Into the shower she goes. Not what I was planning on doing that night! Still love it here, but I guess sometimes you have to pay to play! lol

 

[kamloops67]

Had a similar thing happen years ago , dog got a direct hit and so did the house and the deep freeze that was just outside the door
The dog had chased the skunk under the house and my dad cautioned everyone to leave the skunk alone ! Don’t scare it ! Let it leave on its own ! He was hoping it would calm down and leave with out making any more stink
Well then the noisy old furnace kicked on and scared the already freaked out skunk…
I don’t remember how they cleaned up the mess but I remember the spray was almost like an oil , pretty tough to simply wipe away and the smell was there for weeks

 

[DixieRanger]

Good story. We are fortunate in NC to have the diverse geography of mountains, piedmont & coast. Your mention of weather brought to mind hurricane Fran devastating a swath thru the piedmont. Of late hurricane Helene brought death and destruction to the mountains. Not meaning to put a damper on your choice. Just hope you are on high ground. Our mountains are beautiful. Enjoy the change from the flatlands.

 

[mckenney99]

I used to have a big ole hound (Nala) that was part Pit, Chow and part Yellow Lab that we adopted from the pound. We later adopted a big ole 24 lb all black male cat (Hezekiah/Hezzy) from the nursing home where my wife worked. Nala, for some reason, fell in love with Hezekiah and that hound would just slather that cat from head to toe until he was a sloppy mess. Hezzy didn't care for the attention but you could tell by his expression that he was just resigned to all the attention.
At the time we lived in the country and we had a large population of skunks in the area and they kept travelling through the fenced in back yard where Nala ran most of the time.
On several occasions when we started to let Nala into the house in the evening for feeding time, we found that she had been skunked. The horrible smell never seemed to bother Nala in the least but God she would be ripe. The only thing I could figure was that she would see one of those skunks in her back yard and she would attempt to love on them, thinking they were Hezzy and the skunks didn't appreciate all the attention either.
By the way, I tried all the bathing remedies from the vet and from the internet and while they helped a little, none would remove the odor very well.

 

[ridewv]

I had the same thing occur some years back. Right before turning in I let "Marbles" out and soon smelled a horrible stench coming in through the open windows. When I opened the front door Marbles face was dripping from the skunk spray and the odor almost knocked me over! What a mess!

Tent camping at Spruce knob a couple years ago a friend and I were relaxing in our chairs enjoying a beverage when he pointed out a large skunk wandering toward us. I told him just ignore it. The skunk kept coming until it was within 4', stopped and looked at us, then turned and walked a couple feet to a pine tree and started scratching around the base, I presume for insects. Then it laid down for a few minutes before getting up and meandering off.

LOL the worst thing you can do is try to scare them off by waving your arms and yelling or throw rocks at one!

 

[gjgalligan]

Zyme away works pretty good. Used it a couple times.
Zymewaway.com

 

['79 Magnum GT]

I had the same thing occur some years back. Right before turning in I let "Marbles" out and soon smelled a horrible stench coming in through the open windows. When I opened the front door Marbles face was dripping from the skunk spray and the odor almost knocked me over! What a mess!

Tent camping at Spruce knob a couple years ago a friend and I were relaxing in our chairs enjoying a beverage when he pointed out a large skunk wandering toward us. I told him just ignore it. The skunk kept coming until it was within 4', stopped and looked at us, then turned and walked a couple feet to a pine tree and started scratching around the base, I presume for insects. Then it laid down for a few minutes before getting up and meandering off.

LOL the worst thing you can do is try to scare them off by waving your arms and yelling or throw rocks at one!

Is that a new "Wing" in your avatar?

 

[jscheck]

Dixie Ranger I grew up and served on the coast of NC so I'm very familiar with our hurricanes and where they hit! Fortunately the severity and frequency is much different up here in the foothills and I'm very grateful! The horror of Helene I hope never happens again! My wife (bless her heart!) never had me home during a hurricane because I was always on duty!

 

[ridewv]

Is that a new "Wing" in your avatar?

It is a 2022 which I just sold Sunday. I guess I better change it.

 

['79 Magnum GT]

It is a 2022 which I just sold Sunday. I guess I better change it.

I still have my 1984 but I haven't been on it in 13 years.

 

[kamloops67]

It is a 2022 which I just sold Sunday. I guess I better change it.

I had to go look , what a sweet looking machine !
What are you replacing it with ?

 

['79 Magnum GT]

It is a 2022 which I just sold Sunday. I guess I better change it.

My Aspencade. In case you were interested.

 

[ridewv]

I still have my 1984 but I haven't been on it in 13 years.

Nice looking Wing, get it out and take it for a ride!

I had to go look , what a sweet looking machine !
What are you replacing it with ?

Thank you!
I'm not going to replace it, my goal is to reduce the stable so to speak so I sold it Sunday and a Honda Trail 125 yesterday which leaves 7. I ended up with two 2008 Sportsters so one of them needs to go. I have two Moto Guzzi's which I probably ride the most.

 

[lihpster]

I have a bargain with the skunks here. They don't spray me or Goose and I put a skunk ladder I made in the pond when they fall in and can't get out. Had to use it 2 days ago.

 

[John in Yuma]

We went to the 1993 Merlefest in Wilkesboro. Camped out on their airfield runway campground. When the wind came from the direction of the (Tyson?) chicken processing plant you'd cry for joy if a skunk could cover up that smell.
Not all the aromas of inland North Carolina are natural.
But the music was great.

 

['79 Magnum GT]

Nice looking Wing, get it out and take it for a ride!


Thank you!
I'm not going to replace it, my goal is to reduce the stable so to speak so I sold it Sunday and a Honda Trail 125 yesterday which leaves 7. I ended up with two 2008 Sportsters so one of them needs to go. I have two Moto Guzzi's which I probably ride the most.

It's getting bigger and heavier and I'm getting smaller and weaker in both of our lives. Bought new in April 1984 and has 92525 miles on it.
Used to take long trips on it back in the 80's and 90's.

Rick

 

[ridewv]

It's getting bigger and heavier and I'm getting smaller and weaker

I know what you mean, Rick. I'm gravitating away from heavy motorcycles myself.

 

['79 Magnum GT]

I know what you mean, Rick. I'm gravitating away from heavy motorcycles myself.

Don't blame you. I knocked over a few years ago and had to have my neighbor help me pick it back up. It weighs around 800lbs. When I was a kid in my forties I used to be able to kind of get under it and pull it up, not anymore. AT 69, 5'3",160 lbs with both knees replaced, pin in the left forearm, Arthritis in both elbows and thumbs, I'm done riding. Started 50 years ago on my red Honda CB360T. Had a lot of good times.

 

[IAM Rand]

Colorado has a problem, if it is not a skunk it is a pot shop. Both smell the same to me. The skunk is better, it will walk away from my house.

 

[rwsmith]

I live on the coast but I love the Carolina hills. I remember though, back in the 80's the Eastern TN side of the Smokies was OVERRUN with skunks. And after Helene never say never to hurricanes in Western, NC.