The skunk is back on our property. An unmistakable smell hangs in the air. Our dogs have been sprayed again, and it’s my job to clean them up. By the end of this challenging task, I smell like a combo of skunk and tomato juice.
I know when I’m in over my head. I hire an expert, Alfred. I like him because he’s a no-kill guy. Alfred sets four baited traps to capture the skunk and promises to tote him a long way away.
Let me provide a broader picture. Our plot of 50 acres has one skunk. It also has at least 435 squirrels. It turns out that both skunks and squirrels enjoy the same type of chow. Squirrels are a lot faster than skunks.
The next day, Alfred returns to check out which trap captured the skunk.
Amazing to Alfred, each of the four traps has captured a squirrel. The skunk is nowhere to be found.
I’m not a whiz at math, but I believe the odds were in favor of the squirrels.
Alfred takes the traps to his pick-up and says he will be back tomorrow. Since I believe we now have approximately 431 squirrels on our property and no scent of a skunk, I tell Alfred I can take it from here.
I know there is a great lesson to be learned from this experience. I just don’t have the foggiest what it might be.
Do you?