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Diane Porter's avatar

I think I've heard skunk smell a few times too. Fortunately the dog wasn't there.

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Al Batt's avatar

Both striped and spotted skunks have sprayed me. I was lucky to be able to get made smelly by the spotted (civet cat) before they were extirpated from the Gopher State. If there is one left, I’ll likely manage to be sprayed by it.

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Robert Leonard's avatar

Grandpa called juncos "snow birds" too. Mourning doves "rain crows." Goldfinches "wild canaries." Ground squirrels squinnies. In 2020 when we were all so scared of covid i got the word "squinnies" in the ny times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/29/opinion/coronavirus-iowa.html

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Al Batt's avatar

Similar to what I heard in the Batt Cave during my formative years. My father was born in Fraser, and my mother in Algona. Our “rain crows” were and are yellow-billed cuckoos. We had the “wild canaries” and Dad called indigo bunings “blue canaries.” Growing up, the only place I heard talk of “squinnies” was in Iowa. Once we crossed the northern border, they became “striped gophers.” That NYT piece was lovely, Bob.

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