Humdinger and humbug are two words I use quite a bit. I’ve been known to add colorful metaphors to enhance the hum, which makes both words eminently more satisfying as expletives.
I used both words last night…repeatedly. Here’s what happened.
Long about 8:30 p.m., I was settled in a comfy chair watching a movie, which is a typical activity in the humdrum life I cherish and cultivate. My husband was up the street at the high school taking in the homecoming festivities, which included the junior class’ fundraising supper followed by the high school football game.
The moon, being the harvest moon and a super moon, added to the peaceful ambiance of the autumnal evening. The windows and front door were open to allow in the lovely breeze. The front door has a walk-through screen that parts in the center and then comes back together with magnets. This screen is seasonal, and my dogs and cats love it. They have their own doors at the back of the house, but having free access out the front door is their preference. The entire yard is fenced.
At the same moment I heard dogs barking like crazy outside, the stench of skunk spray blasted through the house like the the chorus from a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical…
All the dogs ran back in the house. I knew immediately Bogey had taken a straight spray to his face, because he wouldn’t open his eyes, and he was rubbing his face madly on the couch and throw rugs. I didn’t know, however, how many of the other five dogs had been sprayed. I nearly hyperventilated sniffing dogs to identify the other spray victims. By this time, my sense of humor was nonexistent, but I did determine Bogey was the only one that had been sprayed.
Dogs being skunk-sprayed is not a new thing in this household. But, I may have annoyed the old gods with my lack of humility and humbleness when it came to repeatedly voicing my smugness that it’s been three years since the last dog/skunk encounter. Bogey was the sprayed dog then, too.
Aside: Bogey is a 16-year-old Jack Russell who believes with all his heart that he is ten feet tall and bullet proof. Bogey and his partner, Harley (18 years old), came to live with us four years ago, when their ‘mom’ couldn’t take care of them any more.
Anyway, I have a skunk-spray deodorizer ‘recipe’, that works well. Most of the time, though, the stinky dog requires at least two go-rounds with the deodorizer. I gave Bogey a bath last night, then a rub down this morning, and then we had to be gone all day.
Here’s my Skunk Spray Deodorizer Recipe that I posted on my blog in April 2022.
Holy moly did the house stink when we got back home. Bogey got another bath. I sprayed the rooms with Ozium deodorizing spray (again), lit a deodorizing candle and, when evening arrived, we opened the windows. It’s airing out…finally.
Stream of Consciousness Saturday hosts are Linda G. Hill and Dan Antion.
Yawning cat image: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Until we meet again,
