Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Earth's Oddities

So a critter is ruining my outdoor adventures. 

Yesterday we got home from our running and I went to go water my hanging baskets.  I start walking down our little walk in front of the porch and see a dead something laying on the edge of the walk and the landscaping.  I figured it was a baby bird that had been dropped by a Mama bird.  Upon closer inspection I find it is the head of a skunk.  And with no trail of blood or sign of the rest of the carcass it left me thinking what the??  It was thankfully not smelling but I was seriously perplexed and nervous and stayed inside the whole darn day. 

Joe got home late and took care of it, in the rain no less; thanks hubby.  But it's still on my mind.  How on earth did it get there?

Some theories:
  • An animal dropped it off, but why was there no trail of blood?
  • A student or maybe a not student is pulling a prank on us?  This would be pure evil, I hope it's not this.  How sinister. 
  • A bird of prey accidentally dropped it while flying by.  This seems the most logical.  

I'm just afraid that there are more skunks maybe living under our porch or something.  Not cool.  But I have to get brave or I'll never have any outdoor fun at all.  It's been a rough week in the yard for the Papesh's.  My thumb got skinned up doing yard work, Tommy got stung by a bee and got a bunch of briars in his feet, I had a large splinter find it's way into my foot about a centimeter deep that took Joe forever to dig out, and now we have animal heads making their way to our yard.  Again, what the ? 

6 comments:

Amy said...

Eww, that is a mystery! I am afraid of most critters. I definitely don't do skunks. I agree that it seems a bird must have dropped it or another animal may have drug it along the way. Maybe it was saving it for later. Who knows? Funny I started to do a post on my blog about the same thing. Well not exactly, but close. We have a lot of ground wasps and a pesky ground hog thing. It is so big, and so are the wasps. I have photos. Things like this bum me out and wreck my time outside.

Julie said...

Totally weird, head but no blood. Sorry, the bird theory doesn't seem to fit, Strange and e-w-w-w-w-w!

Dawn said...

Amy - I'm finally over the outdoor fear and we made it back outside today. It was so darn traumatic. I know I'm a wimp. I also took a pic of our decapitated friend. Yuck.

Julie - You don't think a bird dropped it? What would your guess be Sherlock? Ack nasty.

Amy said...

Oh, I think it is totally plausible that a huge scavenger bird dropped that sucker! I have seen that from hawks and crows and other scavenger birds of prey. Some of them, especially hawks, are big enough to do it too.

bessie.viola said...

GAH I have the heebies after reading this! I think I'd still be inside, you're way braver than I am!

I think the bird of prey theory is a good one. GAH so gross!! I am a GIANT baby about that stuff. High five to Joe for handling it!!

Dawn said...

A week later and I think things are finally seeming normal.

Amy - I've seen big birds carrying critters too so I really think that might be it. So gross.

Beth - I'm lucky that Joe is such a good hubby in that regard. I'm the biggest wimp.