February 12

A sure sign of February greeted me abruptly this morning on my walk. Just down Grove Street, past the bend in the road near Robinson’s, is a small trail that leads into the woods. The trail is a semi-maintained access point to the upper woods that separate Asnebumskit Pond from its twin Streeter Pond, which lies a quarter mile downhill. The trail crosses over a small creek that serves as the distributing watercourse from the upper Asnebumskit to the lower Streeter.

As I passed by the trailhead, the odor was unmistakable. A skunk had sprayed somewhat recently, and from the strength of the air my guess is that the offender might have a den near the culvert that affords passage for the stream.

February is just about right for skunks to become more active, usually intent on beginning the mating season. I am aware of this fact each year, but still in the midst of cold and dark, snow and ice, when the weather still cries loudly of winter hibernation it is a surprise to have such a familiar smell at a time when outdoor smells are all but absent.

Skunks really are curious and downright cute little creatures, and we have our fair share of them within a radius of our house. They are distinct in coloring too, and just when I become accustomed to the predominant black with diminutive white stripe, I’ll come upon a largely white skunk. I don’t suppose there is any selective advantage in color variants, though perhaps the Darwinian may claim the favorable nature of white in winter, though this is nullified of course in the temperate months. Perhaps variation is neutral, like the stripes of the wooly bears we see ambling along in the fall.