Little critter

Living in a rural area certainly has its advantages.  Not only do we occasionally get a ringside seat to atmospheric anomalies like Thursday's cold-core funnels, but more often we get to see animals.  Raccoons, possums, armadillos, deer, groundhogs, skunks, snakes, lizards, and large turtles are all fair game here in the Bootheel, as are a plethora of birds and your more elusive creatures like coyotes, foxes, weasels, and occasionally beavers.  Malden was once home to a large air force base, and Mama and I like to drive out that way just for kicks on afternoons after work.  We've seen our fair share of skunks out there, but none quite like this!

Apologies for the iffy picture, as this little feller was constantly on the move and thus hard to photograph.  He's just a baby, y'all, no bigger than a kitten!  Oh wait, he IS a kitten; baby skunks are called kittens or kits.  He was standing in someone's driveway when we drove past, and when we went by he arched his back and held his tail up (just like this), ready to squirt his juice.  Of course Mama and I have never seen such a tiny skunk, and so we backed the car up to get a better look at him.  We watched him for a few minutes as he mosied on up the driveway and into the homeowner's front yard.

Even though our neck of the woods has plenty of skunks we don't often get to see them.  They're creatures of the night and Mama and I prefer to be inside with the curtains drawn and the doors locked by the time the sun sets, so we don't often see live skunks.  We're more likely to smell them from a distance or see them creamed in the center of the road.  Thus this little guy was quite a treat.  I just hope he made it back to his mother safely!

Best wishes,
RagingMoon1987