Every time I get to thinking that maybe Charlie’s learned not to mess with the local wildlife, he does something incredibly stupid to set me straight. Last night I let him out just before going to bed. He stood there by the door for a minute and then took off around the corner after something. 30 seconds later he was running across the yard with his face in the grass, and the unmistakable aroma of skunk assaulted my olfactory system.

Yes, Charlie got another skunk. More correctly, the skunk got him. Not only does the dog stink (he’s at the vet now, getting a skunk bath), but the skunk let loose around the side of the house–right next to the air conditioning unit. The house reeks. I’m at home today with the windows open and the whole-house fan pulling in the 95-degree air, hoping to get rid of that smell.

This is Charlie’s second skunk. I had hoped that after the last time he would have learned that the stinky black kitty with the white stripe is strictly hands-off. Sadly, he seems to be a slow learner.