Skunked

I think I found the remedy for removing skunk spray from two inquisitive dogs. Night before last I let my dogs, Angel, a lab mix, and Molly, a border collie, terrier variety outside to prowl. Around five o'clock in the morning they were at the front door ready to come in. I smelled skunk as they raced past, but I figured a skunk had been killed on the highway or startled in a nearby field. For about five seconds. Molly headed straight to the back door. She reeked so I thought she was the one who had invaded a skunk's personal space. She's that type of dog, don't you know, so I always assume she's the ringleader when they find trouble.

I wrinkled my nose in distaste and went back to bed. It wasn't long though that a pungent gaseous smell woke me up. Molly wasn't the only one who had alarmed the skunk. In fact, Angel seemed to have taken a direct hit and was now funking up my living room. She joined her sister in the backyard but the damage had been done.

Thank the Lord for search engines. I found a recipe for a shampoo to get rid of the odor on the dogs. Open windows, candles, and pounds of carpet deodorizer made the living room inhabitable again. But just barely.

If this happens to you, don't be stupid like me and let the dogs inside. Then try this recipe. 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 C baking soda, and a powerful shot of Dawn dishwashing liquid. Use immediately upon mixing as the oxygenation from the ingredients is what undoes nature's damage. Scrub the offending area for at least five minutes. Angel took a little extra scrubbing.

Thankfully they are both back in the house. I'm relieved since we are looking at a high of 28 degrees today here in Ohio and I hated to have them spend another night outdoors.

Now that the chore is taken care of and my headache has subsided, perhaps I'll get back on schedule with my work in progress. Every time I set a deadline, life throws a fly in the ointment. But that's the way this business works. If we try to wait until life is free of distractions to write, it will never happen. Write when you can and as much as you can, and try to keep your dogs away from skunks.