We had a first for the Mack family during our last week here at Eagle Falls. Cosmo got SKUNKED!! It is probably more of a surprise that it hasn’t happened before, but let me tell you…he got it good. The smell immediately came into the kitchen as I was doing dishes after BBQ Chicken night (Wednesday for those of you who have yet to come visit).
I only have one other experience with skunks. Growing up we would vacation with some family friends who had a black lab named Molly. Molly got skunked. I was pretty little and was astounded that grown-ups were pouring tomato juice into the bathtub late at night. It shocked me further when they plopped Molly in the tub with the tomato juice.
This memory came rushing back as Travis comes in the lodge to confirm my fears that Cosmo had indeed been skunked. So like most situations out at the lodge we do some quick creative problem solving to see what we can do with what is out at camp, because taking a boat ride into Red Lake after 5pm won’t do any good. I scan the dwindling pantry shelves (remember this is the last week, so things are clearing out) and spot a few cans of Campbell’s tomato soup. Not exactly tomato juice or anything that probably comes close to an actual tomato. In a perfect world we would log into google and search for skunk remedies, but alas we just have the insight of some guests, tomato soup, and one very stinky Cosmo. Travis corrals Cosmo to the dock on Parker and gets him in the water. He then lathers the tomato soup on the stinkiest areas, which proves difficult because Cosmo is now licking the tomato soup off his body faster than Travis can rub it on. Back in the water he goes. At this point neither of us are a good judge as to whether the smell is gone, or at minimum subdued. Cosmo has gotten very excited and licks any remaining soup bits off the dock before his long night holed up in the bathroom without his blankies.
Thursday morning I find a very sad, yet slightly less stinky, puppy staring at me while I brush my teeth. He spent the next few days with an orange tint to his undercoat. Rest assured, he is back to his usual blissful self. It remains to be seen whether he learned his lesson or not.