Weird Tuesday afternoon

Didja ever have a nonsense question pop into your mind for no reason at all? Just happened to me. The question: “What was the name of the old Chinese guy’s cat in the 1969 release of the movie “True Grit?” Rooster (John Wayne) introduced him as his nephew.

Was something I used to know, but had forgotten. 

So I looked it up on the web. Only took me maybe 10 seconds to get the answer: General Sterling Price. Named for a Confederate general in the Civil War.

Thank god for the internet. Without that, these absurd questions might haunt my old age in increasing numbers. Could drive me (further) crazy.

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Just had a  close experience of the weird kind. Was walking Tommy – still daylight, mid-afternoon.

He was attracted by something he saw under a big old fir tree. Big deep bed of brown needles piled around its base. He stopped. Came to a point, stared, then approached on tip-toes and poked at something with his snout.

I didn’t see it at first, but kept tension on the leash and maneuvered so I could pull him away from whatever it was. I suspected a rabbit, or maybe a dead animal.

As I got in position to haul him away, his target stirred and roused up from its bed in the needles. At first I thought it was a cat – but then I caught a glimpse of long black and white hair and my mind screamed, “SKUNK!!!”  I pulled Tom away post haste, despite his continued interest in poking at the thing. Got him away unscathed, thankfully.

The thing must have been sleeping soundly in his pine needle bed and didn’t spring to his own defense as fast as he could have. Sleepy skunk.

Had never occurred to me to be wary of sleeping skunks under fir trees in broad daylight. I’ll be aware from now on! 

Certainly don't want a repeat of the joint skunk/dog experience I had a few years ago. That was one life lesson you only need to learn once.