I had a conversation with one of my neighbors a few
weeks ago that I found to be a little unusual. Actually, I think this individual
comes by quite often, but I happened to be outside during this particular
visit and was able to engage him in a little one-on-one talk. It’s not
often you get a chance to talk about the neighborhood.
 You
can see by the pictures that I’m talking about one of the foxes that lives
nearby. You’d think he’d be a bit of a stand-offish fellow, but he’s not.
It was early evening and I happened to see a shadowy form over near the
bushes that looked large enough to be a dog … or perhaps a coyote. I decided
it was time to check our menagerie of animals (three cats and Huckleberry,
the sheltie) to make sure they were inside the house. When I returned,
the shadowy form was gone. When I did a quick scan of the yard, I could
see nothing, but then I looked down in front of me and there was Mr. Fox,
about 10 feet from me.
“Well, hi there,” I said. “How’re you doing today?”
He looked up directly into my eyes and indicated that he was certainly
not afraid and would be interested in a little communication. For the next
10 minutes, I hunched down and we talked. In fact, I happened to have the
camera so he was happy to pose for a few pictures while we talked about
what a nice evening it was, how the family must be enjoying the winter
and he’s more than welcome to stop by at any time. We were within two yards
of each other, and he was in no hurry to leave. I was rather taken aback
at the prospect of being able to talk with him so casually and in such
proximity, coming to believe that he understood what I was saying and wanted
to respond. I’m sure it won’t be the last time we share our thoughts.
 Foxes
are not new visitors to our lakeside abode. I’ve written before about Huck
having a good time by playing with foxes on the property. The old dirt
pile by the garage makes a perfect King-of-the-Mountain play hill for the
two, with Mr. Fox sitting up on top while Huck runs circles around the
base.
It’s nice to know that we still have the family Fox with us, because we
do occasionally see Mrs. Fox wander by. I’m sure in the spring we’ll see
more of the Foxes as the kits emerge from their den. Huck tries to be accommodating,
I know, but he’s not as good a host as we’d like him to be. After all,
he thinks, this is where he lives and without a specific invitation,
others are not welcome.
It may be a little presumptuous to think that Mr. Fox understood my communication.
But usually, there’s more to communication that just words. Understanding
is what it’s all about. Of course, trying to understand whose homestead
it really is might take some doing….
Paul L. Hayden
Editor
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