We Wish You a Skunky Christmas

Number of degrees over the average temp. for this area on 12/24/03: 10
(Fahrenheit).

Number of hours after the usual time for their "last out" of
the night that our dogs were, in fact, let out on 12/24/03: 1

Number of people in our household who believed skunks hibernate in winter:
4.

Number of the top ten results of a Google search "skunks hibernate"
that corroborate this factoid: 4.

Number of the top ten results that state that skunks "are not true
hibernators" and sometimes wake up in warmer weather: 6.

Number of skunks in this part of New England who concur with the Google
results: at least 1.

Number of dogs skunked: 2.

Number of dogs who sprinted past the unwary homeowner and bolted upstairs
and rolled in our bed: 1.

Average number of baths had by our dogs in a typical month: 2.

Actual number of baths had by our dogs in December: 8.

Actual number of baths had by our dogs in the past two days: 8.

Number of bottles of peroxide needed to deskunkify two dogs: 3.

Product voted "best stuff on earth" by yours truly: "Smells
Begone."