*apologies to Kevin Costner...
This afternoon I was working hard to procrastinate on the latest freelance project, as usual, when I finally started getting into the writing groove, until I noticed it was 3 p.m. Time to feed Frances!
She sure has trained us quickly for a wild fox, I have to give it to her. Excy now gets up around 6:30 a.m to shake 'her' can of dog food and sprinkle it over the terrace, while she's usually lurking around the yard, waiting. He whistles for her, too, though I keep telling him that's silly. He replies that basically, she's a dog. I'm as bad: I give a little puckered high-pitched smooch. Oh, really.
Any-hoo, noticing the time I tossed some kibble on the terrace but she continued to sit in the backyard with Mr. Fox by the bird tree, and the coons came racing up to scarf it down. After shooing them away four times I got frustrated and threw a handful her way. This is what she had been waiting for. She came about 8 feet from me to eat. When I tossed out her favorite vanilla wafers she really went to town. She stacked four into her rather slim mouth and jogged off to bury them in her favorite spot. (They prefer the bamboo grove now. I watched her bury a good-sized chunk of watermelon under a tree the other day when she couldn't find the kits).
I decided to wait to see what would develop and got busy trimming some plants. When I glanced up Mr. Fox was watching intently and Frances was waiting for me to toss out more cookies. We went through this four times, her stacking them in her mouth and trotting off to bury them for the 'kids.' Eventually she was coming within 4 feet of me. Two of the kits were hanging around by then. Mr. Fox gave them a cock of the head that seemed to imply their mother had gone gaga.
I've found her achilles heel. I'm pretty sure as long as I have vanilla wafers as barter, I can bribe her to come up on the terrace with me. Excy got some photos of Mr. Fox on 'his' rock and the kits the other day. I'll post them soon.
p.s. Lenny the cat thinks mom's insane.....
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6 comments:
I can’t help but give food to all the strays that are about this little village. And they learn all too quickly. It is not good, but I can’t help when I see an animal hungry or suffering. We just saved a puppy from a dead Peugeot and an even deader cat. She was under a dead van and hanging out with a dead cat, scared out of her mind. Every time we tried to get her out she’d climb back up into the engine compartment.
But we finally got her out, scrubbed her clean, and guess where she’s sleeping? If you guessed in the house, you would be correct.
I couldn’t resist vanilla wafers either.
Ooh, I can't wait to see the photos! Now you've found MY achilles heel! Pictures of foxes! :P
Ummmm....cookies!
;-)
That is so awesome, looking forward to seeing the photos. Who would have thought, vanilla wafers.
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