So far, this summer has been peppered with many wildlife encounters. I could tell you the story of the lone buck who has cozied up in our neighborhood. I get random texts from neighbors who have spotted this guy hanging out in various yards or just strolling down the street.

I could also tell you how my husband and I have started taking morning jogs to build up our running endurance. On every run we have been on, a cardinal has crossed our path, flying right in front of us. The cardinal in the photo below is a sweet one I’ve noticed around our yard regularly.

Then, there have been some less pleasant discoveries in the last twenty-four hours. One was a small mole that needed to be recovered from our pool filter. I’ll spare you a photo. But check out today’s discovery…How did we miss this giant beehive being built in our yard?!?

You would think that we’d be used to these wildlife glimpses and experiences by now. Does anyone remember the snake in the house story from last summer? I’m not sure why I was so surprised to be checking my mail on afternoon, only to do a quick scan of our flower beds, where I made eye contact with a skunk. It was small and appeared to be sweet from the quick glance I got before quickly rushing inside to process. It was inside that I realized that this skunk, out in the middle of the day, was actually stuck in the well of our basement window. When I relayed the skunk news to my family, both Adi and Arnauld said something like, “I smelled a skunk smell in the basement today!”

As I paced back and forth, trying to figure out what to do next, I felt the need to confirm that the skunk was indeed stuck. There was no way I was going back on the porch. Instead, I opened the window above the basement window well, from the top. I quickly placed my hand out, holding my phone and snapped a quick picture. Can you see the sweet little skunk head in there?

Well, if you read the snake story, you likely know what happens next, same characters in this story! You got it…I called my dad. My dad suggested I call our town’s animal control, but he also said he would be right over to see what he could do. Of course animal control didn’t pick up, but my dad appeared within minutes. He gathered a few materials, a step ladder and our pool skimmer. From there, he gently coaxed the scared little skunk into the skimmer so that he could lift it to safety. The small neighborhoor crowd that gathered all squealed with excitement as we watched the skunk disappear into the woods behind our house.

It’s still only the beginning of July. I wonder what other wild stories this summer will bring!