Up until a couple of years ago, one of the frequent visitors to the Mexican's patio was a mother skunk.. She'd gracefully shared that patio with us for several years .. For a long time, the little animal would nonchalantly ignore me or the wife while she examined everything out there.. In the beginning of this bizarre relationship, we'd been leaving food out for birds and a few squirrels that live in the many huge trees in the trailer park.. that's what I credited her attraction for my patio to being.. Seldom seen during the day, but early in the morning and evening, she'd wander in and just kinda meander about, carefully nosing anything that attracted her.. Later, she began to approach either of us as we sat in the area.. Finally, she'd accept morsels from our hand and casually raise up on her hind legs like she was begging for attention.. We eventually started calling her "Lady" and damned if that skunk didn't commence to act as though she recognized her name.. Each year, about this time, that skunk would have her litter of babies.. about two or three, and she'd proudly bring them onto our patio, seemingly to show them off to us.. Abruptly then, she stopped coming to visit.. a couple of years ago.. We missed seeing the beautiful little animal and her proud display of offspring.. Yesterday.. Lady came home again.. and you guessed it.. she brought her current litter with her.. Like she'd never been away, Lady marched into our patio, trailed by three tiny little fur balls of black and white.. I was busily doing some last minute touch up on the Green One.. getting it prepared for this trip down into Mexico.. All of a sudden, a movement that caught my attention out of the corner of my eye, and there she was.. She busily walked her brood past me and went directly to the place where we'd formerly placed food for her.. Nothing there.. she turned and gave me a "what's up" look and then demurely walked her brood around the motorcycle .. Exactly as if she was explaining something to those babies of hers, that little skunk escorted them around and under the Green Vulcan.. She'd stop and raise up slightly to indicate that things were safe for those babies.. Not sure if it was the same mother skunk that had been a friend of the past, I slowly eased my way back to the porch and quietly called the Mexican to bring some crackers or something outside.. When Magda came out and saw our company, she exclaimed immediately... "She did come back, didn't she?" When she sat on the steps of the porch and held out a cracker, Lady quickly waddled back over to her and gently took it from her fingers.. Still a little dubious, I was carefully keeping my distance, but that little skunk continued to accept food from the wife and was obviously showing of her new litter.. Our visit lasted for most of thirty minutes .. Needless to say.. we were very happy to see that our old friend, Lady.. had survived and was still productive, in spite of her longevity.. LOL. Even though, that little skunk has never shown any aggressive or hostile behavior towards either Magda or me, she has had some unpleasant encounters with some of the other neighbors here.. Some of those encounters have been outrageously funny and some were downright tragic.. One guy got locked out of his house till he'd stripped all his clothes off and washed with a garden hose, then drenched himself with Old Spice until he was again bearable to his mother's sensitive nose.. Lady had really unloaded on him.. Hopefully she'll educate those little ones and teach them that we are the good guys.. I don't know much about skunks, but this one has particularly endeared herself to us and we look forward to her visits, more often.. now.. maybe..... Regards Bill Walker Irving
