"Rina and I have met the skunk again two nights in a row. Last night Rina's attitude seemed to shift (from predatory interest to....what? Something more benign...?) when I made it clear this thing was not to be chased and eaten. Sure enough, tonight she seemed willing to work another angle: I saw her moving up ahead and then suddenly prance and trot around the corner with her ears up. I thought maybe it was another dog walker, or a kid, so I started trotting too---not too worried.
"I found her and the skunk literally touching noses in the grass. The skunk's tail was down and hers was up---both seeming friendly and curious. And I know what you're thinking: Yikes. I thought for sure I was about to have my week ruined. But when I called Rina, both she and the skunk looked up, rather innocently. The little stinky mink turned then, brushed itself provocatively against Rina's leg and ambled back into the bush. Rina came trotting back with a silly grin on her face."
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Rina and The Skunk: A Budding Romance
OK, this is getting stranger but is true. From a note to Steve and other friends regarding recent chance meetings in the woods:
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6 comments:
Huh. Reminds me of high school...
Living on the edge!!!
When we lived in Tehachapi I remember looking out into the back yard early one morning to see our old Australian Shephard Osa out there nose to nose with a coyote. A second coyote was ten feet away with a big grin on his face. They took off when I banged on the window. I almost had to sit down to get my heart started again.
Osa looked at me quizzicaly like, "What's the big deal?"
"Huh. Reminds me of high school..."
Or a Pepe Le Peu cartoon!
Alright Heidi, but who was the skunk in your HS?
Ah, there were so many...(smiling fondly...)
I too have a dog who apparently has forged an alliance with the tribe of the stink-pussy.
On more than one occasion I have found Pip nose-to-nose with something striped and furry, and it looks all the world like she's meeting a very polite small dog.
These aren't in our neighborhood -- we've encountered them during SAR operations -- so it isn't like they've had time to build up an acquaintance.
I have no explanation for this. She can be quite predatory, and has taken care of the woodchuck issue around the garden. Predator truce?
Feral cats and barn cats, in contrast, try to kill this dog on sight. And she likes cats and is polite to them.
Go figure.
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