Disturbing the Peace

  My days are often spent doing yard work which suits me just fine.  I can often be found pushing my old lawnmower down in brambles where it is not supposed to go.  Mark says that I push the thing far beyond its limits and I suppose I do but once I get started, it is hard to stop.  Yesterday and today found me deep in the briers trying to clean the yard a bit.  Down behind the peach orchard there lies a patch of the nastiest, thorniest vines that I have ever seen.  I was bound and determined to eliminate a good many of them so the shove match began.  Just as I thought I was making progress, something halted my whole bit of work.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of movement.  Geez!  That seemed to be the biggest rabbit that I have ever seen in my life!  Dozens of bunnies had been scampering away from the noisy mower but none were as big as that!  I kept pushing as I pondered the huge rabbit. Further and further into the brier patch I worked.  Then it slammed me! Uh, oh!  I had better scoot my little self back up the hill.  That was no rabbit!  

  I was not one bit frightened but rather just the opposite.  I did not want to frighten the critter any more than I already had.  While pushing that mower deep into the vines, I uncovered a den.  I knew immediately that I had inadvertently stumbled upon a fox's den. What I had assumed was a huge rabbit was none other than Mama Fox.  She was trying to lure me away from her little ones.  A wave of remorse swept over me.  What if I had disturbed her enough to make her feel unsafe?  I sure did not want the fox family to move!  I love the little foxes that call the Bayou and hillside home.  At night, I love to hear their yips as they hunt for food and I sure love the fact that they readily dine upon the mice, rats and voles!  Perhaps since the foxes had nested so close to the house, they are familiar enough with me to know I mean no harm.  I sure hope so.

*The photographs included were taken with a "game camera" that was mounted outside by the canebrake near the peach orchard.  I love seeing just what is prowling about the hillside after dark!