Skunk Face

We just experienced one of the most interesting weeks ever.

First, the hurricane knocked out the power for a almost a full week, but it did not knock out our dilapidated old barn which DESPERATELY needs to be torn down. Fortunately the only thing it knocked down was a small peach tree in the garden. Despite the lack of electricity, I hoped for a fun week with family (four days off from school), playing games, cuddling around the fire, etc. Unfortunately, I ended up ending my first "hurricane day" off from school with a fever which escalated to 103 degrees by Tuesday night and was joined by the worst cough I have ever had. I mean, sore abs, coughing so hard you throw up, hear your lungs crackle like soda fizzing, bad cough. Turns out I had a mild pneumonia in one lung, but am feeling almost entirely better now. Needless to say though, I spent almost the entire week on the couch.

Second, Saturday night, while we were staying up late enjoying our "extra hour of sleep" (we being Steve, his sister Lauren who lives with us, and me), we had a late night visitor. We had the generator on (which had enough juice to power our fridge, lights, and television, but not enough for our water) and were sitting in the living room watching TV. It was after midnight (so I guess it was technically Sunday not Saturday night), and we happened to be giving little Finn some extra attention because it was his birthday (yes we have become that family). Basically we were just snuggling with him and giving him a few extra treats. So we let him out to do his business as usual, leaving the sliding glass door open a crack, so that he could come running in when he was done. Which he did. After being sprayed by a skunk. Then he promptly shook. On me.

 So we made him stay outside for a little while until we came up with a plan. I mean, how exactly do you go about bathing a dog without running water in November temperatures? What we ended up doing was dragging a lamp on an extension chord into the bathroom (the bathroom lights weren't hooked to the generator) and filling the tub with pool water. Cold pool water. Then, together, Steve and I scrubbed that poor cold little puppy. Then the generator cut out. And we were left in the pitch dark. Holding a soaking wet dog. Who smelled like skunk. Desperate to shake all over us. Which he did. And Steve and I burst into laughter. What else could we do?

Steve ran out to restart the generator while I kept scrubbing. So I toweled him off and dried him as best I could, then Steve took over and bathed him again with tomato juice. His nose still smells a bit like skunk, but we seem to have gotten the smell out of everything else, including our house. Overall, it wasn't as bad as it could have been; I think Finn didn't get hit directly. Either that or his mouth was open, as usual, and he got hit square in the mouth.



How awesome is it though that despite being stuck outside in the cold, then bathed in freezing cold water, and drenched in tomato juice, that ridiculous little dog still loves us unconditionally. What more could we ask for?

PS. As I wrote this, Finn has been repeatedly jumping on the couch and dropping on of his toys on my laptop.