Unnecessary

When most people happen to drive past a dead animal in the middle of the road they generally feel sad or grossed out -I, on the other hand, feel the duty to pull over and pick it up.

Not all things I pick up have been called in. Some I just come across in the midst of driving to and from various errands throughout the day; yet this morning's find was beyond the usual smushed rabbit or squirrel.

At first I thought that it was a black cat -which is why I stopped.

Wrong.

Skunk.

But this was no usual skunk, no --this skunk was virtually inside out.

In case you were wondering, inside out is bad. Plus it was pretty much the worst combination of smells you can imagine.

I had to use the shovel.
It was fresh (still limpy to handle plus it generated a really fresh and raw smell opposed to one after the odor has had a chance to dissipate).
The intestines were ruptured (intestines = stink central).
It was water-logged (that just enhances the stench to an entirely new level).
AND it was a skunk whose stink glands had been ruptured...

More on the Stink Spray from Pauline Gill at ehow.com:
The spray acts like tear gas that can cause momentary blindness to the predator, if the liquid gets near the eyes. It can cause nausea and vomiting because the chemical ingredients of the oil are thiols. Thiols are what make decomposing bodies and feces smell repulsive because they are emitted as part of the decomposing process. Skunks store the chemicals naturally as an oil. The spray is yellow oil that the skunk stores in two glands the size of grapes. The glands are located at the base of the tail. Each gland can store up to a tablespoon of oil that is enough for six discharges. If the skunk discharges all of the spray, it takes up to 10 days to restore it.

Anyway, I'm sure that most people have experienced what it's like to walk by an area where a skunk has sprayed... but imagine a dead skunk with ruptured stink glands... with the 12 sprays-worth of stench all at once.

Now don't get me wrong, I've experienced some pretty rancid smells over the summer and have enhanced my already extremely strong stomach.

But I still threw up a little bit in my throat.

Not an ideal way to start a morning.