Stinker

Last Sunday night, Kim and I were arriving home after a date night (Batman at the drive-in) and I decided to go check on the cabbage. The cabbageworms didn't seem to be around any more, but I suspected slugs were now chewing up the greens at night.

I checked by flashlight and, sure enough, some of the cabbage plants were virtually covered by hordes of slugs. I spent a few minutes hand-picking them, and then noticed that Buddy had disappeared into the night. After a minute or two of calling for him, the stench of skunk hit my nose.

It took Kim and I about 20 minutes to find him in the dark woods, with a healthy dose of skunk right in the face. We washed him with tomato sauce, but it didn't seem to be that effective. A few days and several washings later, we finally got the smell under control, although it is still evident on his head.

Kim read up on skunk remedies, and we tried pet shampoo, tomato sauce, ginger ale, vinegar, and baking soda (at different times, obviously). None of them was a magic bullet solution, but I would say that the baking soda was the most effective at reducing the odor. It also had the added benefit of going on and coming off dry, so Buddy didn't have to undergo the stress of a bath, which he hates. The advice we read stresses the importance of treating the smell right away, so we should have stuck with it for longer on that first night. Another lesson learned, I guess.

Pretty little yellow squash have started to appear on the vine. Now I won't confuse them with the zucchini and cantaloupe any more.