Wagmore

It is getting to be that wonderful time of year again when windshield scrapers disappear and sandals are resurrected. It is also a time when nature's creatures begin to stir...and our pets have noticed.

If you have ever had a pet sprayed by a skunk it was one time too many. Typically it occurs late at night when we make the half-awake decision to let the dog out before going to bed and slipping into a '13 hour work day' coma. A minute later you hear awful screeching sounds outside and, shortly after, a rancid, sheepish dog is waiting at your back door. Now what?

I used to think tomato juice was the answer but, according to William Wood of Humboldt State University, I was wrong. When our noses are exposed to strong smells over a period of time we experience something referred to as olfactory fatigue. You stop smelling the skunk spray and start smelling the tomato juice which is nice but only temporary. Skunk spray contains stinky stuff called thiols which can be turned into un-stinky stuff called sulfonic acids using hydrogen peroxide and baking soda.