A Real Stinker

So on my way to work this morning I had a kind of funny experience. As I'm walking down the stairs from my 3rd floor apartment I begin to notice an unusual odor. My first thought was that the college students that live on the floor below were partaking in some "wacky tobacco". Not that I know for sure what that smells like, but friends in college described what that aroma smells like, a skunk. As I reach the bottom of the stairs the odor becomes quite pungent. As I go outside the smell seems to decline so I begin to think my suspicion was correct. However, I run into the land lord and he corrects my thinking.

"Hey Greg, have you noticed a skunk around here lately"

I told him that I had not, and spoke to him about my initial thoughts on the origin of the odor. He then informed my to be careful upon entering and exiting the building because there was in fact a skunk residing in the basement of our humble abode. And it appears that his entrance is a hole below the steps leading up to my door.

"That stinks" was my reply. I know, how corny but I've been accused of being a smart ass in the past so I guess it must be true. He told me he had already contacted animal control but they couldn't be of assistance.

"Sorry sir but we won't be able to remedy the situation until Spring. If we remove the animal now it won't have any place to live during the Winter months and we fear that the skunk would freeze to death"

Can you believe that shit. I was under the assumption that when they trapped animals that they took them away and killed them. I know that sounds cruel but I figure that made sense so that they wouldn't return. Apparently not. What kind of business are these tree huggers running. Am I supposed to live in fear of getting "skunked" for the next four months when I come and go. Fortunately the lord of the land has a friend who also takes care of pest removal so it shouldn't be long before Pepe LePew and company are sent packing.

Hopefully the next time my olfactory senses are detecting such a smell, it will be the kids downstairs, and I can enter and exit my home in peace.