The Amorous Skunk

Hey All,   We try to live with the best of intentions.............when you care about someone................you do what you can for them.  I have done this for others.........and have had it done for me.
       Penny's long time dream, was to have her own gift shop.   She talked about what she would do and how it would be...................it was all Greek to me.  I knew nothing about the business or anything else..........been in a few to buy my wife something on occasion. 
      It was September 2003.  I had job working for a woman who owned several properties in town.  One of these was a store front on main street.  Penny and I were discussing her gift shop idea not to far in the distant past................I wondered how much the rent would be..................how much to stock the  shop......................things like that.  I asked the woman who owned the property how much it would cost me, when she was paying me for the work I completed.  We struck an agreement and I paid for 6 months rent in advance and thereafter on a month to month basis.............I drove home with the keys in hand.  Penny was getting ready to go out, when I walked up behind her and put my hand out with the keys.   She asked me what they were for.................she had tears in her eyes when I told her.  So the project began..................painting and ordering stock...........setting up displays...................all done by Penny and her Dad.  By mid November the shop, named "Penny For Your Thoughts" opened for business......after many hours of work and preparation.  As we live somewhat rural...........a lot of business comes from summer residents and folks on vacation.  Pennys' shop managed to survive her first holiday season............but things slowed down after.
    It was a Wednesday in the middle of February.    Penny closed up her shop to come home and get dinner ready and then we were off to evening services at church.  She asked if we could stop on the way home and pick something up at the shop that she had forgotten.    No problem...................it's on our way.  It was about 9 PM when we walked in................we started to gag.  It seems that a skunk had taken up residence under the floor.................a crawlspace of laid up field stone.................and sprayed.    It was so thick you couldn't breathe...................everything not made of glass was ruined and had to be discarded.  Insurance wouldn't cover it.....................an act of God, they said.  Three months later..................the building was still uninhabitable.
     We brought home glass and ceramic items, that  we could wash and store.....................the rest was a loss.  Pennys' broken heart could be seen and heard in her tears and sobs..................  I hurt for her.  February is part of the mating season for skunks.   Males travel from den to den looking for receptive females............if she isn't in the mood and he persists..........he gets a face full.  This wouldn't be the end of Penny's dream of a gift shop ...............but that's another story.