woke up
early. The men went to the barn, and the women headed for the
kitchen. Above the usual farm sounds came Biscuit's long mournful
howls of protest about being locked up.
As soon as Hal dressed Redbird and Beth, she
put the girls in their high chairs. “I'm going to check the live
trap before I get busy and forget to do it,” Hal told her mother
and aunt.
She walked to the end of the porch. She could
see through the trap. The broken eggs had been sucked dry, but the
trap door wasn't shut. The plywood covered the flower bed. At the
end of the plywood was a gaping hole. Hal groaned.
At breakfast, she gave the boys an update. “I
will give the animal credit for being industrious. It tunneled
under the plywood to get out. Now what do we do? There has to be a
way to outsmart the critter.”
Noah stopped eating to think. “We have a rock
pile in the gully where we picked up rocks out of the fields.
Suppose we lined the rocks along the plywood. The animal would find
those too heavy to move, and the rocks should sink on top of him if
he digs under them.”
“If that's what it's going to take, I'll
gladly help you carry the rocks,” Hal said. “That animal has to
find a new home before winter. I don't want it to hibernate under
the porch.”
“Not that I will be here this winter, but I
agree with Hallie,” Aunt Tootie said. “I am uncomfortable with the
notion that an animal is living that close to me. Especially a
skunk.”
Tuesday before daylight, Hal woke to the most
unpleasant odor. She got out of bed and went to investigate. John
followed her. The others were in the hall, holding their noses.
When everyone came downstairs, Aunt Tootie
was upright in bed with a hanky over her nose. She hacked and
swallowed hard which choked her.
Hal asked, “Are you all right?”
“I can't take much more of this. It smells
like skunk,” Aunt Tootie gasped.
“I know it does. Now which do you think
smells worse, skunk stink or moth balls?” Nora teased.
Aunt Tootie's alarm clock went off. Perturbed
at Nora, she slapped at the clock. Her finger slipped off the alarm
clock button and bumped her cell phone. It clattered to the
floor.
“Do something someone?” Aunt Tootie demanded,
holding her stomach and gagging.
Nora grabbed her under the arm. “Calm down,
Tootie. Next, you'll throw up. Get up and come out to the living
room with me before that happens.”
“I will go check the trap,” Daniel said. He
turned on a flashlight and eased out the clinic door. Instantly, he
rushed back inside. “We caught the skunk. What do we do, Noah?”
“We did not catch the skunk. Mama Hal did,”
Noah said with a wink.
“You aren't serious about making me empty
that trap,” Hal moaned.
“Jah, that is recht. That was the deal. We
catch the skunk, and you empty the trap,” Daniel said.
“All recht, but I have to find me some
clothes to wear that I can air out and wash,” Hal grumped, shaking
the skirt of her cotton nightgown.
“Come on, Noah. We better get to the barn and
start the generator.” Daniel headed for the door.
“Will you people please hurry up and decide
what you're going to do,” Aunt Tootie whined, standing in the door
way. “This is terrible. I'm getting so sick at my stomach.”
A series of rings in the cupboard interrupted
her tirade. Everyone stared at the cupboard door.
“That has to be my cell phone. I wasn't
expecting a call from anyone,” Hal exclaimed. She fished the phone
out of her nursing bag and flipped the lid. “Hello.” An outburst of
giggling met her ear. “Good morning, Nurse Hal. This is Jean in the
emergency center at the sheriff's office. Sounds like you have an
emergency at your house.” Jean burst into laughter again. “I'm
sorry. I know it isn't funny to you.”
“And you are calling me, why?” Hal asked
dryly. She usually had a sense of humor but not this morning.
“Someone at your house called nine one one. I
couldn't get anyone to talk to me, but I can hear
early. The men went to the barn, and the women headed for the
kitchen. Above the usual farm sounds came Biscuit's long mournful
howls of protest about being locked up.
As soon as Hal dressed Redbird and Beth, she
put the girls in their high chairs. “I'm going to check the live
trap before I get busy and forget to do it,” Hal told her mother
and aunt.
She walked to the end of the porch. She could
see through the trap. The broken eggs had been sucked dry, but the
trap door wasn't shut. The plywood covered the flower bed. At the
end of the plywood was a gaping hole. Hal groaned.
At breakfast, she gave the boys an update. “I
will give the animal credit for being industrious. It tunneled
under the plywood to get out. Now what do we do? There has to be a
way to outsmart the critter.”
Noah stopped eating to think. “We have a rock
pile in the gully where we picked up rocks out of the fields.
Suppose we lined the rocks along the plywood. The animal would find
those too heavy to move, and the rocks should sink on top of him if
he digs under them.”
“If that's what it's going to take, I'll
gladly help you carry the rocks,” Hal said. “That animal has to
find a new home before winter. I don't want it to hibernate under
the porch.”
“Not that I will be here this winter, but I
agree with Hallie,” Aunt Tootie said. “I am uncomfortable with the
notion that an animal is living that close to me. Especially a
skunk.”
Tuesday before daylight, Hal woke to the most
unpleasant odor. She got out of bed and went to investigate. John
followed her. The others were in the hall, holding their noses.
When everyone came downstairs, Aunt Tootie
was upright in bed with a hanky over her nose. She hacked and
swallowed hard which choked her.
Hal asked, “Are you all right?”
“I can't take much more of this. It smells
like skunk,” Aunt Tootie gasped.
“I know it does. Now which do you think
smells worse, skunk stink or moth balls?” Nora teased.
Aunt Tootie's alarm clock went off. Perturbed
at Nora, she slapped at the clock. Her finger slipped off the alarm
clock button and bumped her cell phone. It clattered to the
floor.
“Do something someone?” Aunt Tootie demanded,
holding her stomach and gagging.
Nora grabbed her under the arm. “Calm down,
Tootie. Next, you'll throw up. Get up and come out to the living
room with me before that happens.”
“I will go check the trap,” Daniel said. He
turned on a flashlight and eased out the clinic door. Instantly, he
rushed back inside. “We caught the skunk. What do we do, Noah?”
“We did not catch the skunk. Mama Hal did,”
Noah said with a wink.
“You aren't serious about making me empty
that trap,” Hal moaned.
“Jah, that is recht. That was the deal. We
catch the skunk, and you empty the trap,” Daniel said.
“All recht, but I have to find me some
clothes to wear that I can air out and wash,” Hal grumped, shaking
the skirt of her cotton nightgown.
“Come on, Noah. We better get to the barn and
start the generator.” Daniel headed for the door.
“Will you people please hurry up and decide
what you're going to do,” Aunt Tootie whined, standing in the door
way. “This is terrible. I'm getting so sick at my stomach.”
A series of rings in the cupboard interrupted
her tirade. Everyone stared at the cupboard door.
“That has to be my cell phone. I wasn't
expecting a call from anyone,” Hal exclaimed. She fished the phone
out of her nursing bag and flipped the lid. “Hello.” An outburst of
giggling met her ear. “Good morning, Nurse Hal. This is Jean in the
emergency center at the sheriff's office. Sounds like you have an
emergency at your house.” Jean burst into laughter again. “I'm
sorry. I know it isn't funny to you.”
“And you are calling me, why?” Hal asked
dryly. She usually had a sense of humor but not this morning.
“Someone at your house called nine one one. I
couldn't get anyone to talk to me, but I can hear
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