A fox sighting today

No, it wasn't this fox that I saw today. I searched flickr for quite some time just now for a fox picture to use, but they were all copyrighted. I took this picture last winter and used it in this post when I first began this blog, and I'm just going to use it again.

Today, George and I went for the first of our two daily bike rides. I've grown tired of picking ticks off myself and the dog after walking through the woods, so I've curtailed them for now. Besides, I've had Lyme's before and I don't need it coming around again. I've been sticking to the open paths around the paddocks, and riding my bike down the farm roads while George jogs beside me.

That's what we were doing, George and I, when I spotted what looked almost like a cat, but it was trotting like a dog. When I got closer on my bike, I saw that it was a very young fox all by itself. He was jogging down the edge of the road and the breeze was coming towards us, so he had no idea we were there. George was still behind me some distance, sniffing at one of the telephone poles. I got to within about 10 feet of the little fella until George came up next to me and the fox heard me telling George to heel.

It turned around and looked at me but kept on its little jog, oblivious to the dog. But George wasn't' having any heel today, so he took off at a trot and chased the little guy until it went under the fence. Then it came out again and they had a bit of a chase around some bushes at the edge of the woods. I called George off and he came to me and we stopped to look at the little guy. He'd come from under the fenceline and was sitting on the grass betwen the fence and the woods just watching us.

I remembered that last week, I'd seen a dead fox along the road. Perhaps that dead fox was the little one's mother? He did look a little scruffy.

I rode on, remembering an incident that happened years ago when my boys were small and we lived on a huge breeding farm in southeastern PA. I walked all over that farm and thought I'd never again live on such a wonderful place. One day, I came up a small incline, the top of which sat a beautiful specimen of a fox. It was just sitting there and cocking its head, watching something below. I came up right behind it, almost close enough to touch it! The breeze was in my favor and it had no idea I was there. Then in a flash, it noticed me and ran away, stopping to look back at me.

When I looked down on what the fox had been gazing upon, it was the farm workers turning out the horses in the morning. The fox was just watching the routine and the hustle and bustle of a horse farm waking up and getting to work.

Another time, on the same farm, and probably with the same fox, I had an even better sighting. Back then I was young and loved to run and bike. My knees can't do the running anymore, but I remember jogging along the edge of the woods. And the next part is true because it's hard to believe. I was in my zone, just jogging and noticed something off to the left. Glancing next to me, I was startled to see a fox jogging not 10 feet away from me. A beautiful, red fox with black stockings running next to me! It glanced over and I looked back as we continued to run parallel to each other. After about a minute, it tired of the game and took off to its left and ran across the field. Now that was exciting!

Maybe you don't think so, but to me, being that close to such a beautiful creature left me breathless and smiling! I couldn't wait to tell my husband when I got back home.