A Skunk in A Tree?
In 1959, I was a junior in La Grange High School. In order to cut the monotony of everyday school life, my three faithful country boy companions: Everett, Marvin and Cousin Jimmy Kana and I would spend our noon hour walking into town to eat lunch. We always ate at the same hole in the wall café located near the feed mill. Our usual meal consisted of a hamburger bun piled high with ground meat almost like a chili. This was called a “Sloppy Joe,” and along with a five cent drink and five cent potato chips, we had us a 35 cent “square meal.”
Anyway, these Sloppy Joes were made up and waiting for us by the proprietor, Mike Von-Minden. He knew all of us kids by name. He was one great guy. After gulping down our food we hurried on our way toward the city hall that sported a siren attached to the top of a long pole. We always made sure to be standing under this siren as it started the loud whining noise to signal the noon hour. The noise got so loud under there that we covered our ears and screamed at the top or our lungs knowing that no one could hear us at that time. I guess that was pretty tame entertainment compared to what juniors do in schools nowadays.
As we walked back to school, we usually had 10-15 minutes left of our one-hour break so we would all gather under one of the two pecan trees in front of the entrance to the school. These two trees are no longer there. They had to be removed in order for additional buildings to occupy that space in later years. Since we came from town, we stopped under the second one next to the school entrance. After a while I told my buddies “I bet I can get all those kids to come under our tree without saying a word.” They said “no way.” I answered back “watch me.” I then commenced to slowly walk around the tree trunk and I’d look up into the branches and point up there now and then. I proceeded to do this and after a while my buddies followed suit. Before long, a few curious boys came over and asked what we saw up there. “Was it a squirrel? I casually said “no, but I did spot something black and white. Maybe it’s a skunk.” “A skunk” they replied. “Wow, hey guys come over here and look, Flo spotted a skunk in the tree!” Well before you know it all the kids from under tree No. 2 came running trying to spot my skunk in a tree!
Well, it wasn’t long before our principal, Mr. Giese, came over to see what all the ruckus was about. They told him that Flo had spotted a skunk in the tree top. So, he came and singled me out. After walking me a few yards away from the crowd he looked at me with those serious eyes and asked me just what the deal was. I told him that I never said I actually saw a skunk up there. I just spotted something black and white and that maybe it might be a skunk.
Mr. Giese looked me in the eye and said “Now Flo, you know and I know that skunks don’t climb trees!” I answered back “Yes sir, you know and I know, but those city kids over there don’t know that!” Now Mr. Giese was always a down to earth kind of a guy. In the high school years that I knew him I never saw him smile. He was always very serious and had that look of authority about him. But this was one time I could see a faint smile come across his face. “Well, let’s not have any more of this nonsense around here anymore. OK?” About that time the school bell rang and everyone disbursed and one more “not so boring school day” went by. And really – skunks do not climb trees.