 |
|
|
It was a cold winter day with a good eight inches of snow on the frozen ground. Julie sat at her kitchen table looking out over the yard toward the chicken coop. She noticed the geese were really in a thither about something. They always seemed to be upset! she thought to herself while sipping her coffee. Then the smell came, and with it a sense of dread. There was no mistaking that foul stench. Yep, it was a skunk.
Right about that time Julie’s dad came pounding on her door. “Daughter, your geese have got a skunk trapped out there. I think he’s trying to steal some eggs. You’d best get out there and do something!”
Being the good daughter she was, Julie jumped into action and said, “I’ll be right there Dad! Just give me a minute to bundle up”. As she turned to race toward the coat rack, she hollered up to her oldest son telling him to hurry because they had a skunk trying to steal eggs, all the while thinking her Dad was heading out there too.
As she bounded out the kitchen door with her son close on her heels, Julie noticed her dad’s truck pulling down the lane and heading toward town. “But, but,” her son stammered, “I thought Grandpa was going to help us!” Julie was just as bewildered, and was wondering the same thing. All at once she realized she and her boy were on their own. This was not going as she planned. Why don’t these things ever happen when my husband is home? she thought to herself.
Her attention shifted back to the problem at hand, and the increasing odor of the skunk’s spray. It was oppressive, and more than her boy could handle. Every few moments she could hear him saying “Momma, I’ll be right there to help you in just a minute!” followed by the pitiful sounds of him retching into the snow bank, and weak moans. Poor little guy just couldn’t take it.
Trying to muster what courage she could find and saying a prayer, Julie entered the coop. In front of her was the offending varmint, clutching a goose egg between his front feet and mouth. One look at his stance portrayed his determination to keep the prized egg. In back of her was the entire goose gaggle, with necks out stretched and hissing. They were just as angry at her now, mistakenly seeing her as a threat too.
What a dilemma! Here she was facing a determined skunk, with a gaggle of geese in back hissing and lunging at her rear end. Then, to top it off three turkeys that they had nicknamed “the three stooges”. Were all lined up in a row squinting their eyes, their feathers fluffed up in objection to the foul odor, while sneezing loudly and shaking their heads.
“Momma, I’ll be right there to help you in just a minute!” she heard her son say weakly as he retched once more into the snow bank.
“Choo!, choo!, choo!,” went the three stooges.
“Honk, Honk, Hissssssssssss!” went the geese.
The skunk held center stage. Clutching his egg, poised with tail held high and ready to fire.
Yep, life on the farm can sure have its moments. Not all of them a person would like to remember either…. pesky varmints! Julie grumbled under her breath several hours later, while she scrubbed trying to rid herself of the pungent odor that still clung to her skin.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
|
|
|
