Close call

While coming home from Stitch n' Bitch tonight, I was nearly assaulted.

I narrowly managed to elude harm, and am now sitting here trying to cut through the lingering effects with a cold beer. As for the other party, it's probably still hanging out in a yard, digging for juicy grubs. Yes, my potential assailant was...a skunk.

Riding the bus home from the el station was an option, but the weather is nice tonight and I really need the exercise. So, I walked. I was strolling along enjoying the new Mosh Knit podcast, when I smelled it: the thick, musky stench of a skunk. About five steps later, I saw it. And it was close. Too close. Maybe about 10 feet away from me.

I paused. It paused. It started to raise it's tail, and I quickly back pedaled, then side stepped into the street and across to the other side. I sighed with relief, and continued to cautiously make my way home.

A half block later, I smelled another one. I was getting really nervous, looking around for it. (Apologies to the two young women sucking each other's faces off in a car. I wasn't gaping at you. Yes, I did a double take, since that isn't something I see very often in my neighborhood. But the reason my walk had slowed so much was so I could take extra care in looking for the next skunk, not so I could check out the action more closely.)

Finally, I decided that the safest course of action was to walk down the middle of street. Yes, I had to keep track of approaching cars, but at least I wasn't skunked.

And you thought living in the city meant that the only wildlife we see is in the zoo? Hah!