Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
5:27 am Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Flower didn't smell all that rosy

By Staff
Scot Beard
This past weekend my wife and I headed to Morgan County to visit with my family and, like usual, we took our dog with us.
Around 10 p.m. Balthazar began acting antsy so we let him outside because we thought he needed to take care of some personal business.
As soon as he stepped onto the porch, he ran into the yard and approached a large, black object. After pouncing on the poor critter, Balthazar jumped back and kept shaking his head back and forth.
That is when we smelled the unmistakable odor of a skunk.
My wife got the dog back onto the porch as I went inside to get a bucket of water to give him a quick bath to try and get rid of as much stench as possible.
Unfortunately my dog is a Great Dane, so there was a lot of musk covering a lot of dog.
While I was filling the bucket with water, Balthazar began growling and my wife thought the skunk might be coming back into the yard.
She grabbed the dog's collar to keep him from running off the porch, but soon realized it was not the skunk – this time a deer decided to run through the yard.
I laughed when she told me this and said we were only a rabbit short of seeing the entire cast of "Bambi."
While Thumper never showed, seeing Flower and Bambi definitely made for a memorable evening.
As we were bathing the dog – he hates baths and washing him is always an adventure – I began to think of other characters from Disney cartoons and what it would have been like if they had shown up.
I thought about the Crows from "Dumbo."
They would have made the situation worse by running their mouths while we were trying to wash the dog. That would have annoyed me.
They might not have seen an elephant fly, but they definitely would have seen some crows die.
Next I thought about Robin Hood coming by. Maybe he stole some money from the fat-cat bankers that have driven the economy into the ground.
While my checking account is not interest bearing, maybe that sly fox could come bearing a few hundred dollars.
Better yet, Genie from "Aladdin" could have come by. I would have asked for three simple things.
First, I would have the skunk smell taken off my dog. Then, I would have my mortgage and student loans paid off.
Finally, I would do something to benefit all of mankind. I would have Flower, and all of his family, to go through musk gland removal surgery.
Now that is a Disney ending I can enjoy.

Also on Franklin County Times
Housing authority PILOT is waived
Main, News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
March 11, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — City councilmembers recently voted to waive a payment in lieu of taxes, often called PILOT, from the Russellville Housing Authority. Pu...
Playground safety concerns are addressed
Main, News, Russellville, ...
By Addi Broadfoot For the FCT 
March 11, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — City officials say steps are being taken to improve safety at the playground in City Lake Park after parents raised concerns about dama...
Petition: Accountability sought from AHSAA
High School Sports, Main, Red Bay Tigers, ...
By Brady Petree and Bernie Delinski For the FCT 
March 11, 2026
RED BAY — A petition created by a Red Bay man calls for the Alabama High School Athletic Association to replay six state semifinal basketball games af...
State’s positive CWD cases nearly doubles
Franklin County, News
Kevin Taylor For the FCT 
March 11, 2026
The total number of positive cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) found in white-tailed deer almost doubled in Alabama following the end of the 2025...
Pace crowned Miss RHS
News, Russellville
By María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimew.com 
March 11, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Lily Cate Pace was crowned the new Miss RHS during the 44th annual Miss RHS Pageant. Pace, a senior at Russellville High School who is ...
Scholars Bowl team competes at nationals
News, Phil Campbell
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
March 11, 2026
PHIL CAMPBELL — Snow and ice kept the Northwest Shoals Community College Scholars Bowl team from attending a January qualifying tournament, but it sti...
The gimmick that became a calling
News
Chelsea Rutherford For the FCT 
March 11, 2026
Rick Revel was just 15 when he stood backstage at the Grand Ole Opry and received career-shaping advice from country icon Roy Acuff — if you want to m...
Read Across America celebrated
Franklin County, News
In the Community
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
March 11, 2026
Elementary schools throughout the county marked Read Across America Week with activities. At Vina Elementary School, firefighter Justin Epperson and E...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *