My mom and dad have lived in the same house, in the same neighborhood for all but 2 of my 35 years of life. And many of the inhabitants of their lil neighborhood's tucked-away block have been there quite a while as well. So when anyone from our family sees a stranger 'round the old homestead, our interests are piqued.
Today, Holly, Baby Harry, Gilly and I met someone new as we were outside taking a mini walk up and down Elm St.
"There a skunk around here?" we heard from behind.
Holly and the baby (ummm I feel compelled to mention that "Baby" Harry is a GIANT 2 year old!) and I spun around to face the inquring voice. Gillian was a lil bit ahead of us and came running back.
To our surpise, a sprightlly elderly gentleman, perched upon an older-model bicycle was the source of the question. He was dressed in a smart white and blue-striped button down dress shirt and creased khakis. Well-worn loafers ensconsed his feet, one perched on a bike pedal, the other balancing on the asphalt road. To me, he looked like a modern day, real-life version of Hermie the rogue elf from the Rankin and Bass classic (AND TERRIFYING)claymation Chrsitmas special, Rudolf the Rednosed Reindeer.
"Yeah, I can SMELL him!" Gillian piped up, delighted. She ADORES skunks. She even loves the nose-hair-singeing stench of skunk. Weirdo.
"Weel, you wanna trap 'im?!"asked Real-life Hermie, all excited-like.
Holly and I LOOKed at each other and had a silent conversation:
"TRAP a Skunk?! I can barely change his diaper!" Holly said in my head, eyeballing her Newfoundland Hound- sized toddler.
"I know, right? Who IS this guy?!"
"Do we look like wild mountain women?!" We both appraised our apparel. Me in a workaday pair of black capirs and tasteful black and white top, my sis in a fashionable orange tank and classy jeans.
"NO!" we silently sang out.
"Ummmmm...errr..." I stammered politely at the bike-bound stranger. "Well," he said "lemme know!" as he pedalled away he called back to us, "There's lotsa critters around here! We caught some racoons over there by the river! Got us a skunk down by *unitelligible* so just ...lemme know!"
Another silent communication:
Me, "What the HELL?!'
Sis, "I KNOW! Who ASKS strangers, PRETTY strangers (my sis is nothing if not modest) to WRESTLE WILD LIFE?! "
"You'll set him free, right?! If you trap the skunk?!" I called aloud to Real Life Hermie's quickly disappearing back.
"Yeah! Ok! Sure!"
"Like I am sure you set the racoons free!?" I screeched desperately in his direction. He held up a silent wave in response, pacifying me.
I mean , what did I expect? Claymation Hermie PULLED the TEETH of the ABOMINAL SNOWMAN in order to render him harmless.
Skunk Rasslin'!! On a WEEKday?! No thanks! Clearly I have more important things to do. Like post a new blog. :)
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