My ears were burning this afternoon.....

Barbara,

Fun post. Had the skunk got the best of you your nose would be burning, eyes too.

It is a small world, and the Internet and Active Rain are making it even smaller.

How neat!  It is fun to be able to connect with someone that you had not talked to in a long time.

That's really neat.  It's nice to see so many on AR who go that extra mile and stop by to say hi to those they know here...

Barbara, I love these clear across the country connections, and all of us here on Active Rain know Elizabeth, like you, is a sweetie.

Elizabeth is soooooooo kewl. I just get the biggest kick out of her. It is a small world, and we just never know who we know six degrees away....or less. ;-)

Hey, Barbara, I resemble that photo! We were all laughing so hard because your talented and skillful daughter couldn't figure out how to turn the camera around so the eye was pointing at us (and not the screen). She held it out at arm's length to shoot that photograph. Pica kept squirming because he knows he's not supposed to be outside.

Then I asked her how you were doing with the skunks and possums -- which, I may add, she was totally unaware of. So, I brought up your Active Rain page and showed her. I also told her I didn't have the heart to tell you where animal control took the critters. I can't believe she TOLD you where they go. LOL.

Regarding animal control for skunks. I wondered if skunks are really destroyed and consulted this site:

http://centralarkansas.crittercontrol.com/services-residential-529276.php

It's not clear that skunks are destroyed and the striped skunk is not a protected species like his brother the spotted skunk AKA Civet Cat.

It is likely the striped skunk is destroyed because of being a potential rabies host.

Here are some Fish & Game facts about the striped skunk.

Striped skunks occur in all counties of the state and are most common in cleared
agricultural lands and pasture land.  Skunks are a common nuisance animal, usually
causing problems such as digging under houses and emitting their telltale odor when
alarmed by domestic dogs.  Skunks are the major vector of wildlife rabies in the United
States averaging 40-50% of all reported cases, and Arkansas  ranked first in the nation
during the 1979 outbreak when 301 laboratory cases were confirmed (Sealander and
Heidt 1990).  Due to the incidence of rabies, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
has banned the possession of skunks as pets.
 
  Regionally the Mississippi Delta has accounted for 54% of the total striped skunk
harvest, followed by the Ozark Mountain (32%), Ouachita Mountains (8%) and West Gulf
Coastal Plain (4%).

Barbara, your skunk is the rare, one spot, Searcian Duncan pesterer.

Here's what I found about a skunk's appearance:

There is no one size for skunks. They can vary in size from the Spotted Skunk that can be the size of a squirrel all the way up to the Hog-nosed Skunk, which can be the size of a small lap dog. Most skunks sport the almost universally recognized pattern of a black body with white stripes. The exact strip pattern can vary with each individual animal, and contrary to folklore it can't be used to determine the skunks gender. Less commonly known is that they can occasionally have a brown body and white stripes or a grey body and white stripes. Some may even be completely white, without being an albino, or a solid black. Unlike most small animals that try to blend with their surroundings to avoid predators, skunks want to be seen.

The skunk we're most familiar with looks like this.

Barbara - How Awesome was that? ....And, I see the resemblance in the eyes! That is your daughter!

But Barbara, I'm sure they were only saying nice things about you!

I prefer my palm itching!

Barbara, great picture.  It looks like you guys were having a lot of fun.  Also, I've heard that saying, "My ears are burning," too.  I hadn't heard the term in a while, but it was really cool hearing it again.  Great title for your blog.