Smells

We have a small garbage can, like the galvanized kind you put out at the curb but half sized, that we store bird feed in. A while back I opened it and noticed that the contents had gotten kind of damp, so I stuck it out underneath the oak tree by the pool so it could dry out (or so the birds would eat the top layer, maybe). Time passes. The can becomes invisible, no longer registering when I look that way. We have rain, several times.

Flash forward to Friday (yesterday). A skunk wanders into the yard while the dogs are out there. They run to investigate. I'm guessing the skunk had sprayed a few times by then, because they got only a small dose, but they walk away with a definite aura.

I hustle the dogs inside, then go out looking to see if the skunk is still around. Wandering through the skunk miasma, I came across the birdseed can. I thought, "Why, I forgot this was here," and very foolishly tipped it over where it stood to empty it.

I've never experienced anything like that. Honestly, I think that's the worst thing I've ever smelled, in all my 57 years. The good news is that the skunk smell was pure perfume by comparison. The bad news is that there was suddenly both skunk AND rotten birdseed wafting about.

The dogs had brought the skunk smell in with them, so we opened the bathroom skylight and several windows, and turned on all the ceiling fans, to air out the place. Unfortunately, we couldn't open any windows on the side of the house facing the birdseed tragedy, for fear we'd end up…well, just having to move.

Oh! I guess I forgot to mention—we had overnight company Friday night.