A few unexpected things ... LOL

The night before last we had a thunderstorms.  Not that unusual for here in August ... BUT this one was something else.  My poor dog spent at least 3 hours in the kennel flipping out.  Poor SueAnn ... It started with some rumbles off in the distance on and off, by this time I was watching the dog and the tail was starting to curl under her body ... time for the kennel ...  The thunder got louder and more frequent, then the rain started - very hard and very fast!  I had to run around the house closing windows as there was a little bit of a breeze, but not really any wind.  About 5 minutes after that the HAIL started and kept going for about 40 minutes ... I was beginning to wonder what was going to be the first thing to break that would wreak havoc with my house, or camper or the chicken coop. 

The chickens had all run inside the coop and not one stuck her head out the door to see what was happening!  The coop has a wooden top, but above that there is metal that slopes from the wood shed down to the edge of the coop.  It had to sound like war in that coop - poor girls!

Last night about 10 - 10:30 Susan heard a horrible ruckus out by the chickens ... we charged out to see what was there ... all we could see at first was 3 of the girls running around flapping their wings, hanging in the chain link surround, but then I saw a small skunk come out of the coop ... OMG, skunks kill chickens!!!  I ran in and got the broom with the long handle ... opened the gate to the pen and tried shooing the damn thing out.  Nope, not working ... now remember during all this time I had one eye on the skunks tail ... as long as the skunk was looking at me, I wasn't that scared, but if the thing had turned and put tail towards me or Susan, we would have run like bats out of hell ... I think I'm painting a picture of a 3-ring circus ... I kept thinking of my rifle and just shooting the damn thing, but I'm half blind and it's pitch dark out there - I just didn't want to add a crazy woman and her rifle to the comedy act!  After opening the gate on the pen trying to scare the skunk out, three of my girls flew out squawking loudly over and over.  They disappeared into the brush & grasses - I was more intent on the skunk at that time ... we got 2 hens in, but the third was no where to be found.  I looked and looked using a small flashlite - no chicken. 

This morning when Susan got up to feed her cats she looked outside and there was our wayward girl pacing outside the pen wondering why she was out and the others were inside ... Susan let her in and we have a happy ending.

Dale stopped by this afternoon and I showed him where I thought the little bugger got in - nope, skunks don't climb ... it got in right where the hinges on the gate are, way down at the bottom ... hmmm, baby skunk, squeeze through a small opening ... OMG there is a Momma around and she probably has more than one baby ... I put a rock on the inside of the pen and some screening in the opening by the hinges.  Hopefully that will work.  I will leave the kitchen window mostly open tonight so I can hear if anything else goes on ... no more crazy women in their fancy sleep ware ... over sized sleep shirt on one and t-shirt bottoms and a camisole on the other, both of us in slippers ... 

I think I'll stop the story and let you all catch your breath from laughing ... (I'm still laughing!)
Many hugs to you all