The three: Young Rocky, mature Stampy and a Blossom, perhaps from this year or a very small female.
C had done some refrigerator emptying in her Department and put the food out on the giving stone. We had just finishing watching a show and it was dark out, 8.30 pm perhaps and we wondered if anyone was having a meal. Turning on the nearest light, we could make out 3 shapes in the vicinity. Young Rocky was sideways to us on the East side of the food. To his right, facing us was Blossom probably a couple of nose lengths away. Emerging from the North, out of the shadows, strode the Stampy who we recognized as Big Mama. She has big white/ivory stripes on either side of her body and a luxurious tail. Her 2 kits, however, both have a nice V on their foreheads, black bodies with white tail tips.
Big Mama swung around to Blossom's right and began to nibble. The other two barely acknowledged her presence. It was chow time. Now, like people, some skunks are just ornery, and since they possess a feared weapon, well, sometimes that goes to their head. Big Mama falls into this category and she decided to intimidate the young Blossom by squaring off, face to face while still having a nibble. Blossom showed no reaction and continued eating but didn't take her eyes off Big Mama. Big Mama evidently did not feel like wasting too much time with this kid so she escalated through DefComs 5,4,3 like going through the gears on a sports car. First, she raised and fanned her tail, like a peacock. Then she quickly stamped her front paws and charged Blossom who immediately pivoted left and fled to the shadows under the pool deck.
Young Rocky just kept eating. His Mama said that you could fire off a shotgun next to that boy when he was having his grub and that kid wouldn't move an inch.
Big Mama having secured one half of the spread for herself, she settled in for a good feed. It was not to be.
Within minutes of her seeking safety in the shadows, Blossom began moving Westward, behind Big Mama and creating an ellipse back to the stone. At first it seemed Big Mama didn't notice the return of the young possum, who was eating not more than two feet away. Perhaps she was blissed out from the food. Suddenly, she realized who was next to her and she immediately fanned her tail. This time, Blossom didn't budge and shifted slightly for a better angle. As Big Mama began to stamp, Blossom charged. Big Mama pivoted and quickly waddled off back to the North as fast as her fanned tail would let her. Blossom arranged so her nose was directly towards where the skunk had left into the shadows and started to eat.
Suddenly, Big Mama came charging up and started stamping. Blossom pivoted left, retracing her ellipse. As she passed to the North of Big Mama, the skunk charged and stamped again. Then she return to the stone, this time with her raised tail pointing towards the only access point Blossom would have if she wanted to eat.
Young Rocky ate through it all.
We finally turned off the light and went to bed. Somehow, they must have worked things out for there was no olfactory evidence the next morning that the nuclear option had been used.
No comments:
Post a Comment