Maybe it's not so safe out here in the country after all...

This afternoon, Todd was held up.  Right here in our own back yard.  The kids were watching the whole thing out the window.  He had taken his gun out with him, just in case, and all the a sudden the kids were yelling - "He dropped his gun!"  "He's got his hands in the air!"  Here is the story.


But first, a picture...

The intruder even made him drop his clothes!!

Charlotte took some garbage out and came in saying that  it smelled like skunk over there. There was no lid on the garbage can, so Todd asked her to go out to see if she could find it.   Out she goes (pretty reluctantly) and I send Emily out with her for back up.  Pretty soon they came running back in shouting "There's a skunk in the garbage can!!!"  Out Todd heads with the gun.  Gets as far away as he can and still see it and "BANG".  That is when the kids start yelling!   "It got him" "Right in the face" "He's running!"  "It must have gotten him in the mouth, he's spitting!" ...


I headed out with a jar of Maxine Fryberger's home canned tomato juice, and he had stripped down to his skivvies (again we were thankful for no close neighbors!).   He hosed the first layer off (brrrr), then I gave him a tomato juice shower and he headed in for a real shower. He still doesn't smell like a rose, but there is only a "hint" of skunk left on him.  I'm thinking that his company will be thankful that he is working from home right now!!!


We asked him if the skunk was dead, and he replied "I don't know, but I'm sure not going to go find out!!!"   I went out a little while ago, and it is still scrambling around in there.  It might be time for a new garbage can.  Luckily it is in one of the empty cans and not in the one that we've been putting trash in this week.  I don't know which one of us is going to be brave enough to take the trash down to the road Thursday morning... 


Earlier this afternoon, he shot a raccoon that has been killing our chickens.  


We moved the cows and sheep to a different pasture and one of the sheep leaped right on top of poor Garrett and bowled him over.  He wasn't hurt, but he sure was surprised and upset!  The sheep was just excited to be going to a fresh pasture.


So all in all, it's been an exciting afternoon!