Nature Hunt with the Kids
One of our favorite things to do outside together is to walk around our house and church yard and see what interesting things we can find. The usual favorites that we find consist of pinecones and flowers. Some of the more rare things of nature that we've come across are fox snakes, garter snakes, hummingbirds, tree frogs and large moths. When I can, I take a picture of the things we find. So today we went outside and explored and I brought the camera along. We found a lot of things today:
1. Large mushroom in a tree hole
2. Bird's nest and egg shell
3. Recently burrowed hole in a tree
4. Morning Glories
5. One yellow butterfly
6. Cicada shell
7. Creeping Jennie, or poison ivy?
8. One head of skunk
Yes, that's right - a head of a skunk!! Where was the rest of the body? Who knows! That explains why the outdoors by our front door smelled terribly like a skunk. Lately there had been a skunk hanging around the church and parsonage, so I didn't think too much of the smell. The skunk was a nuisance because anytime you went between the church and parsonage at night, you had to be careful you didn't run into or scare the skunk, otherwise... you know. Well, I don't think we'll be having that problem anymore. It's just too bad the head is right next to the playground. That's where it's going to stay until something comes along to carry it off. I am not going to be moving that ant-covered head! Not even with a stick!
BTW, anyone know what poison oak or ivy looks like?
1. Large mushroom in a tree hole
2. Bird's nest and egg shell
3. Recently burrowed hole in a tree
4. Morning Glories
5. One yellow butterfly
6. Cicada shell
7. Creeping Jennie, or poison ivy?
8. One head of skunk
Yes, that's right - a head of a skunk!! Where was the rest of the body? Who knows! That explains why the outdoors by our front door smelled terribly like a skunk. Lately there had been a skunk hanging around the church and parsonage, so I didn't think too much of the smell. The skunk was a nuisance because anytime you went between the church and parsonage at night, you had to be careful you didn't run into or scare the skunk, otherwise... you know. Well, I don't think we'll be having that problem anymore. It's just too bad the head is right next to the playground. That's where it's going to stay until something comes along to carry it off. I am not going to be moving that ant-covered head! Not even with a stick!
BTW, anyone know what poison oak or ivy looks like?
Comments
Do a Google on "poison ivy image" and you'll see what it looks like.
Your head of skunk is hilarious!
Reminds me of the time I was raising three orphaned skunk kits out on my screened porch. They were quite used to me and there was no real danger. After all, a skunk gives ample warning before it sprays. First it stamps its front feet, with tail raised. That's when you'd better get as far away as possible, because next, he turns around to take aim at you and by then it's too late...
Anyway, I was being very careful always to pick up these furry cuties with their tails tucked under them. But my husband complained. He said, "I don't think you have taken into proper consideration how we would be persona non grata in the whole neighborhood if these skunks should ever spray. And what would make that doubly painful is when you stop to think what outstanding neighbors we have, and how painful it would be for us to lose their goodwill. It just is not worth the risk."
So I said, "You're absolutely right" and packed up the three babies in a cat carrier to take to another licensed wildlife rehabber. I set the carerier on a table on my screened porch, but unfortunately, too near the edge...
The skunk kits, quite excited to be in an unfamiliar carrier, stood up against the side of it to look out. The carrier tipped and fell off the table and of course, in their panic, ALL THREE skunks sprayed!
Fortunately, baby skunks don't spray as MUCH as their parents, and their scent isn't yet as strong, either. Fortunately, most of the spray landed in the carrier itself, specifically on their blanket; and fortunately, the carrier wasn't in the house proper.
It still took me ALL DAY to get the odor out of my house.
(Only one neighbor noticed anything, and only for a short time.)
love,
Anastasia
I won't share my childhood skunk story, as it involves firearms :)
Incidentally, I have no idea what poison ivy looks like because I am not allergic to it (as to most other things). Once when I was a cub scout we got off a trail while hiking in line. Every one of the scouts had poison ivy all over them...but me. Now, I don't gamble with this immunity, but give thanks I have been spared one allergy, though I do not deserve it.
Peace,
Pr. Christopher Hall
Chris, we told some people at church that there was a skunk hanging around. The conversation quickly turned to the best way to shoot a skunk...
I finally had to bury the head since nothing took it away in the night. And it sure is poison ivy. (Google images is so much better than Ask.com images!)