I did some research on foxes. I was surprised to find that sometimes, foxes will have the same mate for many years until one dies. I had thought they were unspecific, but seems that isn't true. Also learned the dog (male fox) helps raise the kits (baby fixes). Foxes are like puppies, in that they are born deaf, blind and pretty hairless. The male fox brings food for the vixen for the first three or so weeks so she can keep the kits warm & fed. After about 4 weeks, the kits start to emerge from the den (sometimes a woodchuck or other animal's abandoned den). The parents bring small animals (mice, chipmunks, squirrels, etc) for the growing kits. I am sure this is when they learn to actually kill, for the small prey could still be alive. During the summer months, the kits hone their hunting and survival skills. As the fall comes on, they leave their parents and search for their own place in the wild. Less than 50% of kits survive, seems man is their worst predator, either by actively killing them or by car. Sad...they are a beautiful creature.
I know I said I would update my blog...but I haven't. No excuses, just haven't. But I must relate what just happened outside where I am now staying in Fairhaven. It is pretty urban here, close to a fair-sized mall just across the street and pretty built up along the state route that runs about 250 feet away from my camper. I am lucky in that the guy who owns the place where my camper is parked lets me inside his house when ever I want. In exchange, I have been doing some badly-needed house cleaning for him. Bachelors! They never clean anything. And I cook every evening a good meal for us both. Plus, I have gotten his dog (Chihuahua monster) on a good diet as well as helping him out with his two stray cats...both black as coal.
I have heard stories of the fox who hangs around here, have even seen her one morning really early. She is a red vixen and very pretty. Also very fearless...as I saw tonight. As I usually do when I leave for my camper every evening, I walk BB (my dog) around for his nightly constitutional and pee. Lately, he likes to go over towards where the winter's wood was split but was removed last week. There is still a couple of piles of split wood for next winter and a load of pine wood piled up, waiting to be split. The leaves are deep on the ground from the Norway Maple and the chipmunks have been running around that area. I figured BB was sniffing them out tonight...when I see a pair of eyes dart towards BB. A cat, I figured. NO! The FOX! Ran right up to him...and had no fear of me, only 15 feet away! Just too much! I ran towards BB, the fox ran off towards the stone wall and stopped, came back towards BB. I think she was HUNGRY! In case you don't know, BB is a Shi Tzu. He is black/grey brindled and very hard to see at night, so I just bought him a dangling blinking light for his collar so I can locate him. He has selective hearing, can only hear me say "Cookie"...not "Come here". Well, the fox came pretty close to us before she hightailed it over the stone wall. I rounded up BB and headed towards my camper. I had my headlamp on and saw a pair of eyes about 50 feet in front of us...the fox had run up the stone wall and out into the yard. She was headed right towards us again! Of course, I am nervous since BB is such a softie, never would be able to defend himself. BB spots the fox and runs off on the chase. I had my laptop under my arm, so I put it inside the camper and got the keys to the Volvo so I could get my good flashlight out of the car. I turned the flashlight on, looking for BB. There he was, about 100+ feet away, hanging out where the boats are stored for the winter. Just then, the fox ran towards BB...I yelled, fox didn't flinch! Didn't deviate it's path, ran towards BB! Got right up to him, was SNIFFING him!!! I started to run towards them, yelling "HEY, HEY". The fox turned when I got within 15 feet or so and ran towards the stone wall...stopped and looked back at me and actually SAT DOWN! I had to get to BB to round him up. He is totally unfazed, unaware, unconscious of what might happen. I had to herd him to the camper. I shined the flashlight back towards the stone wall, there was the fox, SITTING ON TOP OF THE STONE WALL! Twice I turned and looked back at the fox, both times she was sitting on the stone wall, watching to see what we were doing. She took off across the field and headed out towards the housing development on the north side of the neighborhood. I put BB inside, he took a drink of water, totally unaware that he had come close to being fox supper...
What do you think about that!!??
I've been busy outside in the last days of good weather. I am sorting out winter/summer clothes and putting the warmer weather clothes away. I moved my high-priced storage unit contents into a more affordable space. I have been trying to get over to sort, photograph and organize the contents of the "new" storage space so I can move the second, more expensive storage unit contents to the less expensive space. That, along with yearly physical, eye exam and the nice weather have kept me busy. Too busy to write in the blog.
The property has closed. My final pay-off was so little, I am in shock. Not enough to buy the nice motor home (price was $10,000.00). Then there is the challenge of cashing the check and not get kicked off disability, which will be very difficult to get back on. Our governor has ordered an audit of everyone on disability, so I expect I will have my audit soon. That will be interesting!
I was at my friend's auto shop last week, he had a van up on the lift. I was walking over the cords, air hoses, watching my step and managed to walk right into the tire on the van. I heard every bone in my neck go "CRUNCH"! That was a week ago Thursday afternoon. My chiro is in office only Tuesdays & Thursdays, so I had to wait till Tuesday to see him for a neck straightening. I was pretty sore, but he has helped. Saw him again on Thursday and am hopefully on the mend.
Weather here has been rainless, to say the least. We were promised rain earlier this week, we ran around, getting ready, covering things, bringing things in from the wet. We had some sprinkles. Drought severity has been reduced for the Cape Cod area, but the mainland is still severe. This is a very dry November so far.
Catch up soon!