Of skunks and dresses

     It has been 8 months since I showed you the picture of Mary Lincoln in her new skin.  Since I suggested she would have a new dress by Christmas.  I am a little late!

     I had asked The Book Corner to order a Dover book with pictures of the Lincolns in their clothes.  Here are the men in their underwear.

      Here are their dress clothes.  This dress was a "back-up" dress for the Inauguration.  She never actually wore it but it is often pictured because it was very expensive. Here is my version as well as the "new" pitcher and bowl I got at the Kokomo Antique sale.  Mary now has a room of her own as it has gotten too crowded in Abe's room.  Abe himself is being fitted for a new white shirt upstairs in the sewing room.  I am very happy with Mary's dress.


     It has been so awful hot here that I am in danger of becoming an indoor pet.  My trips to the backyard are just short jaunts to turn on the hose.  I have been watering the garden though it doesn't seem to help much.  On one of these trips, I spied a slip of peppermint in the north-side shade of the house.  Leaning over to pick it, I saw a snip of long black and white fur down in the window-well.  It was small, flattish and didn't move.  "Oh, poor thing, some little skunk has gotten trapped in the window-well and died and now I'll have to pick it up and put it in the trash" I said to myself.  But first I went to water the garden.  And I forgot all about it until later that night at supper.  My Husband talked about when to do it and since he seemed to think it would be his responsibility, I was happy to dismiss the whole thing.  We watched some television and went to get ready for bed.  While I was lying in bed, propped up on pillows, reading a murder mystery, some small knocking sounds caught my attention.  Whaaaat?, I pulled the shade aside and there was a little black face looking in at me, it's nose pressed up against the glass!  A baby skunk!
     I made some phone calls.  Then people called me.  We got dressed again.  Here came the wild life rehabilitators.  With a long handled net.  Better her than me!
     But the little skunk was gone.  Not trapped at all, just happily living in my window-well.  And I've a pretty good idea why it was gone.  While we were waiting, I tried to take some pictures of the little skunk through the window.  Of course the camera flashed, it must have frightened the little thing.  The wild-life rehab left the net with me in case the little one came back though I think I would as soon climb into a garbage can as brave the skunk spray!  The pictures do show me one thing though, Little Skunk has chewed my window screen to bits!  That's how the little nose could be pressed up against the glass!