The First Day of Fall!

I know this picture of the Hollyhocks should be a spring picture but I thought it was so pretty.
We made it through the summer and it was a very pleasant summer I think. I have a skunk story today. About 2:00 am I woke up because I kept hearing this banging sound. I got up and went around the house, listening at kids bedroom doors and all was quiet. I got back in bed and the banging this time R. heard. He jumped up and went out in the house and I went out the back door to see if something was getting my chickens. It was very peaceful and quiet in the back yard. R. came in and said, to not go out in the back yard. He said there was a skunk in the front yard.
He thought the banging sound might have been the air conditioning unit on the side of the house, so as he went out on the front porch to listen he looked out and right there was a skunk, minding it's own business digging in the yard. I turned on the porch light and it just kinda looked up and seemed to say, " Oh, thanks, now I can see better." We just let it be but one good thing we thought of was since we have skunks, we don't have gophers. I almost wish for the foxes to come back, because when we had foxes we didn't have skunks. Foxes eat chickens so I am not crazy about them coming back either.
I guess you could say, I am no longer a tree-hugger type. Dogs, cats, but not wild animals.