Skunked

Last night I was on the back porch watching the moon when I heard the plastic cat food bowl move. I turned on my flashlight to see which cat was eating, but it wasn't a cat. It was a skunk. As the plastic bowl is very near the back door, I couldn't go back into the house, and I had to wait on the far edge of the porch while the skunk finished the scarps of food in the bowl. It seemed to have no fear of me, or of the light from the flashlight.

The porcelain cat food bowl was closer to me and still had some scraps in it, too, and I thought the skunk might go for that bowl after finishing with the first, but it merely sniffed the ground around the first bowl and then turned around and headed for the fence. One of the feral cats was approaching, and apparently the skunk didn't want to encounter it. I was very happy to see that act.

As it departed, the skunk waddled noticeably. It was the fattest skunk I've ever seen. Most likely it get plenty of food from various pet bowls in various yards about town. Tonight I made sure the cat bowls were empty before dark. The cats don't seem too happy about it, and neither did the two big raccoons who visited a while ago. But I'm happy not to have the skunk hanging around out there. The cats can eat again tomorrow.

I'm going to eat right now. I finally got around to baking some potatoes, and they are almost ready. They will go nicely with Stephen Colbert (to watch on television,not to devour.) Television was disappointing last night, as Concast's guide lied. There were no English people murdering one another after all. Curse you, Comcast! Bad service, high prices, and lies. You're worse than a skunk.