Ms. Skunk doesn’t seem to notice that it isn’t dark when she is prowling around. She ran out from under a piece of equipment in my neighbor’s yard during the day a week or so ago to my neighbor’s amazement. My fox terrier is a shelter dog and because she was so small, the shelter kept her in the cat arena. My dog assumes that the skunk is a playful cat and waits patiently at the fence for Ms. Skunk. My warnings do not deter her from befriending Ms. Skunk. An odorous encounter may change that! Ms. Skunk was leisurely walking across my yard a couple of days ago about noon. Not knowing if she saw me or not, I clapped my hands to alert her I was nearby. She began waddling towards my shed and went under it. (There is a distinct skunk smell rising through the floor when I enter the shed!) Overweight Ms. Skunk was undoubtedly pregnant and must have had a large number of babies under my shed! A friend told me that their eyes are closed just like a kitten’s when they are firstborn. A clothespin on my nose may be a necessary accouterment soon.
With all the joy I have in my garden and home, it is difficult to express the sadness and shock I felt when witnessing the death of a fellow human being at the “knee” of another. The officer was a sadist and a racist...a deadly combination. Surely authorities must have realized there were problems with him before this happened. I think all people tend to be blind to what they don't want to see.
The pandemic has not stopped our young people from protesting against the inhumanity shown by a police officer. Yet most policemen are good people and risk their lives to save us. There is evil in all walks of life. People we know may be equally inhumane. Burning a toy poodle alive or killing a defenseless bluebird is surely sick. But most of us choose to see the good in people and try to nurture it. The blessings that this life, this Earth have given us are innumerable. Perhaps the peace stemming from the isolation of the pandemic is revealing more about ourselves, our world, and where we find joy and love…a forced introspection. St. John of God, 1495-1550, said, “In the twilight of life, God will not judge us on our earthly possessions and human success, but rather how much we have loved.” [email protected] ©Ann Rains, June 2020
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