SKUNK!

The camp ground at Spring Lake: Mechanic Joe hard at work: Chief Kevin, hard at work?

SKUNK: 1a) A small carnivorous New World mammal of the genus Mephitis, having a bushy black tail and black fur with white markings that ejects a foul smelling oily liquid when frightened or in danger.

2b) Not what you want to wake up and see staring into your tent at 2:00 in the morning.

Today's ride completed, the tribe gathered at Spring Lake Park for some R&R and bonding after a pretty easy first day. The park is adjacent to Spring Lake and is acres of brown grass and California Live Oak trees. Everything is so dry due to a late heat spell in the valley. The temperature was right at 100*F most of the afternoon. It was nice as it cooled down in the evening!

Dinner tonight consisted of a wedge salad with bacon and hard boiled eggs, carrot raisin salad, honey spiced pork chops, Russian fingerling potatoes, yellow vegetable curry and pound cake with strawberry rhubarb sauce for dessert.

The the couple years we have been staying here we have never seen a critter other that tribes of squirrels that are more interested in gathering nuts than they are in bothering us. SO, we thought nothing of leaving the snack kit out next to the truck during the night. I suppose we should never trust what we cannot see! We could not see that there are raccoons and SKUNKS in the park. We were introduced to them at 2:00 in the morning. I had the fly tied back on the tent to enjoy the night breeze. The little Le' Piue thought it was so that he could come visiting! Have you ever woke up with a skunk staring into your face? I screamed. Kevin heard me scream! Because I didn't scream twice he figured everything was ok. Jack woke up and we contemplated how to rid ourselves of a skunk without being doused in eau de' skunk juice. You know, you really can't. We let the little guy run around camp and explore for a couple of hours. He visited Aaron and we know he investigated Joe's truck. Just about the time he decided to leave for the evening his buddy Rocky Raccoon appeared. HE was interested in the snack kit. Jack got up and tried to shoo him away. He would look up at him and tried to figure out if Jack was serious. This went on for awhile until he finally high tailed it up the street. Critters.

We backed tracked today on the way to Santa Rosa to the Marin French Cheese Company, the oldest continually operating cheese factory in the United States, to pick up some great French style artisan cheeses to serve later in the week. The cheese company made history in 2005 by beating the French in the famous International blind tasting. A must see what you go through the valley!

Tomorrow is the long day for the tribe. Going to be a hot one!