Subject: Postcards from Michigan -- Last one

Saturday, August 29, 2009

#7 was to be my last postcard as we were going to be heading back home on Saturday but then something happened and I had to share the story.

I’ve been camping since the 1950’s and this has never happened to me before.

Friday night was a rainy night off and on and Saturday’s forecast was more of the same so that’s why we decided to come back a day early.

Saturday morning around 4:30 I had to get up for the usual “the dogs need to go outside” routine. This is not the way it works at home but for some reason while camping, they have gotten in the habit of going outside in the wee hours.

I was standing in the camper doorway putting on the leash for the younger dog (Pilar) as she is a flight risk. Normally, Pilar is very laid back about going outside but this morning she was all anxious which I attributed to a full bladder. I never put the older dog on a leash because she just goes outside, does her business and then waits to come back in.

No sooner than I get the leash on Pilar she’s out the door and goes under the camper which again, is not normal in the routine. Here I am standing on the ground at the camper steps with her leash now wrapped around my leg wondering what’s up with this? About that exact same time I’m thinking “Sweet Mother of God, what’s that smell?!!” Which was immediately followed by the brain kicking in with “SKUNK”!!!!! And a split second later followed by THE PILAR, coming back out from underneath the camper snorting, spitting and shaking her head.

Here I am outside in the dark with a dog wrapped around my leg going crazy and for all I know a rabid skunk two feet away in the dark getting ready to attack me. Fortunately, by the time I was able to shine my light underneath the camper the skunk had high-tailed it.

So, now as I watch Pilar for the next 3 minutes snort, sneeze and shake her head I’m pondering what do I do next for an encore? I mean, it is 4:30 and off and on rainy outside. So my only conclusion is to gather up the two dogs (the older one of whom has been oblivious to all of this going on) and go back inside the camper and hopefully keep my eyes from burning as the spray must have happened right under the camper door as that is where the strongest odor was.

After getting back inside, Pilar immediately goes up on the bunk where Barb has been sleeping through all of this. The older dog is still oblivious but thinking she might get a treat if she plays this just right.

Once inside I realize that the smell is just not going away. Barb groggily awakes and asks “Are you burning something on the stove?” She said later that she knew in a moment that something else must be up because of my swearing.

Well, what do you do in a situation like that? Here I had a 10 hour drive ahead of me in a van with the prospects of doing that in a pleasant odor-free environment now shot to Hell. Now, Brenda living out in the country, you’ve probably had all kinds of experiences like this and would have a remedy in a heart beat. Me, being a city boy, had not a clue. But let me tell you, Vick’s Vapor Rub applied liberally to the nose works wonders!!

Well, we did make it home and Pilar is actually starting to smell better (or is that the Vick’s has permanently damaged my nose?). That’s my last email from Michigan. Until next time.

Mike