I woke to the smell of poo. Charlie slumbered in his dog bed, his head dangling over the cushioned edge and hot morning breath drifted directly into my face. I carefully lifted him to reveal the small treasure below that had escaped during the night. "Gross!" I told him as I carried him outside to see if he needed to relieve himself in another way. He did.
As I was ready to leave for work, I carried him downstairs to my parent's house. Mom had just returned from her morning walk with Abby and Dolly. Abby was especially energetic and attempted to greet me with cold nose kisses. "You were right", Mom declared. I was confused and it clearly showed on my face. "The dead animal tail at the top of the road," she continued. "It was a skunk tail. It smelled when I picked it up."
I looked at her ungloved hands and asked where she left the tail.
"Oh, I don't have it anymore. Abby jumped up and snatched it right out of my hands." Mom threw her hands up as if to demonstrate what had happened. "She ate it."
My dog that had been kissing me just ate a skunk tail. I must have looked ill and Mom added, "I did try to get it from her but she clenched her teeth so tightly that I couldn't, so she ate it." Mom decided that something was wrong with my dog's behavior.
I called my husband to share my morning woes. In the afternoon, there was a flower delivery to my office. The card read "Just Because Wieners, Skunks and Mom".
