Day 86: Unwelcome guests

Homeownership is no walk in the park. Fortunately, I’m surrounded by several people who are willing to lend a hand. The inability to fix problems on my own, however, has left me with a pretty lackluster attitude toward this homeowner experience. But I found just the think to check that attitude: my new patio set. A table and chairs are all I need to make up for the leaky roof, the burst pipe, the broken underground sprinkler box — every last bit! From this point on, I can finally spend every minute possible outside, amidst the fresh air, sunshine and lightning bugs. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, reading, writing, working, thinking, you name it. If I’m sitting, I’ll be here!

At least that’s what I thought until I caught site of a skunk waddling out from behind the shed. And from that point on, every little rustle had me bracing myself for the spray. Luckily, I had Sara to help take my mind off it. But an hour later, there he was, an innocent little explorer, uncomfortably close to my deck.

Great. The neighborhood skunk family is back. The woman next door had mentioned them last fall. Apparently they’d made my shed their living quarters, but, she told me, they had successfully been taken care of. Guess not. Murphy’s Law strikes again. So much for my peaceful evening oasis.

Anyone know how to keep these pesky creatures away?