What a Stink......

We have a rule at my house. You get your dumb arse sprayed by a skunk.. you sleep in the barn. We have 2 old Army Cots out in the loft, reserved just for this purpose. The kids used to think it was a joke...until the last time they actually asked, "Where would we sleep in the barn?" and I told them they'd be lounging on a musty cot until the stink went away. In fact, we've had this rule longer than the barn.. because we had a cat in the city that got herself sprayed and we made her sleep outside. She stayed out until I went out the door and didn't smell the skunk on the porch (that was were she slept, under the porch). We have had our dog for 5 full years. She is 6 years, 4 mos old and we are going on our 6th year with her living with us. She has never been sprayed by a skunk.

Until tonight.


The boy went to let her outside... opened the door into the barn, turned out the light and the dog took off like a rocket after the skunk (who was happily eating cat food out in the barn). The Boy hollered at her, but she wouldn't come back. He smartened up quick like, and shut the door. Figured he wasn't sleeping in the barn, no matter what the dumb dog did. So the skunk got the dog, right in the face probably. She ran back over to the door, frothing at the mouth (this is a natural instinct, keeps the dog from swallowing the skunk oil) and wild. The boy put her out on the run, and she did laps around the back yard, foaming at the mouth the whole time.

We're not sure where the skunk went. Not knowing how it got into the barn, we're not sure if it got out, or if it's still in there. This put a huge kink in the dog sleeping in the barn. Between the barn and the kitchen we have what we call "The Cold Room". It's freezing cold in there during the winter, hence the name. Before the addition to the original house was added (between the barn and the house).. it was a wood shed. Sat out in front of the barn in the backyard. I can almost visualize how it looked. Almost. Anyhow.. now it connects the house to the barn, and the upstairs part is used as a storage area. I decided the dog would sleep out there. Kind of dumb to put her out in the barn with a skunk. We took her crate out there, an old quilt, and her food and water.

A quick Google Search showed we needed to bathe her before the skunk oil dried into her skin. A magic formula of Peroxide/Baking Soda/dish soap was supposed to take the stink off of her. The Boy took her out back and applied this. Then he gave her a normal shampoo.. and now she's inside. The smell is strong in the house, as the natural progression of air flow comes from the barn, through the cold room and into the kitchen. UGH.