Our friendly helper. August 19, 2010.
Betsy has become a very enthusiastic birder over the last few years. It all started with a Bluebird family in the box in our back yard, but she now has several feeders on and over our deck. Most of the feeders are located so that she can see them from her chair in our Great Room.
There are now a dozen or so variety of birds that visit our feeders on a regular basis. And although Betsy has gotten very good at recognizing the birds by sight or by their call, the birds are not very good about cleaning up after themselves. I hate to say it, but those birds are some of the messiest eaters I’ve ever seen (and that includes two kids!).
Betsy does a pretty good job of sweeping the deck, but one rainy day last week she got distracted doing other things and didn’t sweep as often as she usually does. So this ‘friend’ decided to climb up on the deck and help with the clean-up effort. Fortunately it went away without gracing the deck with its ‘fragrance’.
We really do need to keep the deck swept!
Tags: American Life, Betsy, Birds, Glade
Senior Moments 
August 23, 2010 at 3:50 am |
Help like Mr. Skunk you can do without, right George? I am happy to hear he did not “freshen” the air for you! Happy Monday.
August 23, 2010 at 6:21 am |
Just send Betsy out there with a broom to run him off. 🙂
August 23, 2010 at 6:47 am |
Awww! Phil’s family had a pet skunk when he was growing up, and one day when they were camping, his little brother carried the skunk across a stream and it bit him! Hmmm…so I see they do have another defense!
August 23, 2010 at 7:20 am |
ok George this is one of my all time favorite photos…. adorable. glad it did not leave you a deposit and i bet Betsy will not forget to sweep the deck again. who knew skunks would eat bird food? i did not.
my son shared a house with 3 friends when he was in mid 20’s. one of the men had a pet skunk that lived in the bathroom under the sink. I loved him, others did not. he had been nutrilized in the fragrance department
August 23, 2010 at 7:32 am |
Well that is definitely some help that I don’t want. I didn’t know they ate bird seed either.
August 23, 2010 at 9:50 am |
Aw the little critter was probably just a bit hungry. I am glad he decided to leave without you know what!!
He is kinda cute though. MB
August 23, 2010 at 10:16 am |
Cute but nasty will critters! I can’t sweep under my feeders and have them around the front door at night sometimes. I make sure the cats are in the house at night!
August 23, 2010 at 10:17 am |
That was suppose to be “little critters”….my typing when crazy 🙂
August 23, 2010 at 10:48 am |
You are never without entertainment and excitement on your deck!! I’m glad for you that Mr. P.U. left without leaving his signature scent!
August 23, 2010 at 10:49 am |
I’d say this visitor would be a good incentive to sweep the deck. 🙂
Blessings,Ruth
August 23, 2010 at 11:17 am |
I smelled one of these the other day but never did see him!
I’ve started putting seed out that has already been shelled so there is no mess!
August 23, 2010 at 2:11 pm |
I remember Betsy telling a story of on that marked one of your fire logs
one time, and you didn’t know it until after you put it in the fireplace. ha.
Those things are NASTY- and after having one spray my three dogs, I have NO affection for them.
August 23, 2010 at 2:44 pm |
Oh my, what a cute photo! It was nice of the little guy to want to help, but still . . . .
August 23, 2010 at 5:08 pm |
Don’t those skunks smell, just being around? Lucky you did not walk outside and have it spray you.
August 23, 2010 at 8:23 pm |
you have a really fun blog. I like what i see on it!
keep up the good posts.
August 23, 2010 at 9:36 pm |
I still think you should have sent it to Neal!
August 23, 2010 at 9:52 pm |
This is one critter I hope I NEVER see in my yard! 🙂
Did you go out and sneak around to get the picture? I’d have been worried he might turn on me. Very brave of you.
August 23, 2010 at 10:21 pm |
Oh, how funny! I so glad he didn’t spray some of his fragrance around your deck. Definitely a great incentive for sweeping!! Have a great week, George!
Sylvia
August 24, 2010 at 7:56 pm |
Well, at least you did not have someone try and chase him away! Although my ex-grandmother-in-law chased a skunk out of the summer kitchen with a broom. I think it must have been one of the slowest chases on record!
August 25, 2010 at 10:19 am |
“Fragrance” aside, he’s so cute!