I, too, have learned the hard way that skunks aren't as obvious as everyone thinks they are. The old Bugs Bunny cartoons about "Pepe LePew" passing for a cat? Not as improbable as you'd think.

The first time I ever got skunked was my first trip to visit the home of my then-girlfriend's parents. We piled out of the car after our 8-hour drive to Maine and let the dog out in the backyard. I saw the dog about 15 yards downhill playing with something that looked like a small squirrel--gray and furry. I was afraid the dog had caught a baby squirrel so I trotted down the hill yelling, "Bear! No!" It wasn't until I was about 3 yards away that I realized what looked gray at a distance was actually black and white. I yelled, "SKUNK!" just in time to get caught in the blast that hit my dog right in the face. I turned to run for the house only to see my girlfriend already in the house, locking the door and closing the windows. Thanks dear.