Skunks... nothing to get excited about.

The other night while driving up to Salt Lake, Zach and I smelled a skunk. Usually this smell is nothing more than an annoyance. You plug your nose, blame the stench on the person next to you, laugh and go on. This time when I smelled that potent odor, I got excited. I thought that since skunks hibernate, the fact that we could smell one out of its den meant that Spring was on it's way! (Don't worry, I still blamed the smell on Zach. haha, that joke NEVER gets old!)

The next morning at work I wanted to further validate my hopeful anticipation that Spring was indeed on its way. Enter WikiAnswers ->

Q: Do Skunks hibernate?

A: Skunks do not hibernate like bears. Instead they take long naps in dens with other skunks. They will wake to look for food on warm days, and will need to come out of the den at least once to empty their scent glands.

This would explain why folks sometimes see, or smell, skunks during the winter months.

I. was. devastated. Little Pepe Lepu was not an early sign of my most favorite season. That little stinker was just out "empty[ing]" his "scent glands". Gross!

Let it be known; skunks are not good for anything. They smell. bad. They get hit by cars and smell even worse. They spray your dog, causing your dog to stink. They go through your trash and make a mess. And to top it off, they don't hibernate, which I think is kind of gay. What kind of freaky woodland animal doesn't hibernate?!

Moral of the story: Skunks truly are nothing to get excited about.