Stranger In The Night
Jasper was wild. Out early for his morning call for nature he had discovered that a dog had pooped in his yard. I cleaned it up, noticing the feces was packed with rosehips and other seeds. My Maltese spend the next half hour marking that spot. I think he was urinating air. He followed the scent from the ground to the tree. That didn't make any sense. It bothered Jasper, his nose chased the smell of the intruder to the tree. I thought perhaps a racoon, or even a large cat must have been the one to mess up Jasper's yard.
During the night Jasper and Rosa would sniff at the bottom of the door. They acted a bit spooked, yet excited. Sure enough, in the morning there would be another deposit.
Last night I left the curtains open overlooking the tree and Jasper's yard. I sat in a chair, turned the lights off and waited. I couldn't help but think I was a bit nuts. Now that I wanted to see what was out there in the night, the creature wouldn't show up. Just before midnight my dogs raced to bottom of the door, sniffing at the tiny bit of wind that was coming in. I froze in my chair. Along the broad fence a small dog was cautiously making his way to the tree. It made a small jump to the large branches of the tree, then leaped from the tree to the ground.
When it walked into the light, I saw it wasn't a dog. It moved as gracefully as a cat, had a huge bushy tail, very pointed face and ears, plus wore a beautiful red coat. There was no mistake. A red fox! He went right to the base of the tree, where there was quite a bit off undergrowth. He set to digging, rolling several things out of the dirt. He ate them quickly keeping a sharp lookout for danger. When he finished eating, he went to his spot to leave his calling card. He leaped onto the lower branches, slipping away so fast I didn't see him on the fence.
This morning I looked to see what the fox found so delicious under the tree. He had been digging up some sort of flower bulb. Jasper was busy following the scent. When he came over to see what I was doing, he sniffed at the bulbs showing no interest. Whatever they were, the fox obviously knew they were okay to ingest.
At the coffee shop, I mentioned it. Several other people who have lived in the area for years, said the foxes made annual tours of the yards, digging up bulbs. I liked that we all agreed the small dog like animals should be left alone. I wasn't the only one sitting in the dark waiting for them to show up. One lady laughed. She had put a dish of dog kibble out thinking "her" foxy visitor was too thin. The fox ate his bulbs, then peed on the kibble. She said her dogs didn't like the kibble any more than the fox did, she was going to have to change brands.
A tiny moment in time enjoying the beauty of another species. Jasper learned a new scent. I wish the little stranger well.
