My Late Night Visitor

( I know these pictures are blurry but I didn't have time to get the proper lighting.) Four nights ago I was awoken by a ruckus on the back deck at 2 am. I got up, turned on the lights, and saw what looked like a strange cat. No, not a cat, a skunk!!! Shoo-shoo, go away. But it wouldn't go away. Instead it pushed the cat dish around. This got the cat curious. Taffy got about one foot away from the skunk when it turned around and lifted it's tail. Taffy came running to the back door...let me in, let me in. So I did and we spent the next 20 minutes watching the skunk from behind a glass door. That silly thing pushed the cat dish all the way across the deck and off the edge. It hung around for a while and finally wandered off. I Brought the cat dish back and went to bed. 2nd night, same time, same noise, same skunk and and same cat dish pushing. Again cat comes to door for safety and again we later retrieve her cat dish. This time it has some chew marks on it. 3rd night, you have got to be kidding!! There is no food in that dish, leave it alone!!!! Again retrieve cat dish and try to get some sleep, tomorrow is church and I am teaching! Last night, before going to bed I brought the camera upstairs and left it by the back door. Made sure there was no food in the dish and went to bed. Every two hours that skunk showed up and pushed the dish off the deck. I took pictures and brought the dish back. Finally I must have been so tired I fell back asleep. This morning the dish was gone, though I did find the rubber gasket from around it's edge. Further looking turned up the dish under the deck. So I am sure you are asking why I don't just bring in the dish at night and get some sleep. Didn't think of that until yesterday, (OK, Ron suggested it on the phone) and I wanted to get a picture of that cute fluffy skunk before I spoiled all her fun.

The silver shiny thing is the dish.