29. Chet Learns to be on Time
Sometime in the late 1960s when we had moved to Fairview Avenue up on the hill above California State University at Hayward Bernice and I bought 25 Chickens. They were all White Leghorn pullets. We had ordered them from a commercial hatchery in Fremont, California. Chet decided he wanted to go into the egg business. He was faithful about doing the chores required to get the eggs each day. We had fixed up the shed in the back yard, built some nests and a roost for the chickens. I had cautioned him about getting eggs before dark. One evening he was late getting the eggs and it was somewhat dark when he went after the eggs. When he got back we heard him cry out, "Mom!" We went outside only to be brought to our knees with the terrible smell of a skunk. Chet had surprised a skunk in the chicken house and had been sprayed for his transgression. Mom quickly got his clothes off. She tried everything including tomato juice but to no avail. We finally buried his clothes. He smelled for a long time. But he was never late getting the eggs again.