"An election is coming: Universal peace is declared and the foxes have a sincere interest in prolonging the lives of the poultry."-George Eliot
For the last year and a half, Grey, the Pond Pearl, has floated blissfully around in the pond. His adventures include getting blown out of the pond a few times, getting blown back in, losing his partner, Pearly, and many interactions with ducks, fish, deer, herons, pets, and..... foxes. Typically, critters respond to the shiny silver orb drifting toward them in the pond with suspicion that gradually changes to indifference. But not today.
Now, Grey is gone. And I get to see the whole thing! Like prayer flags designed to fly in the wind until they fade to white and shred to tatters and blow away, my awesome landmark work of art, "Pearly and Grey, the Pond Pearls"(pictured above) an eco interactive, kinetic, sculptural performance piece, has a beginning and an end. Today is the end.
When I first see the fox down in the pond meadow I think it's a German Shepard pup. It is large compared to the other foxes I have seen here, which range from eleven to fourteen pounds full grown. I would guess this one to be twice that big.
It walks slowly and stiff legged as it approaches so I think it is old and arthritic. I sure am wrong about that! Turns out it is carefully stalking something... And it pounces! Next it digs with its front paws, then another pounce! Now it is running with something in its mouth, now it shakes the thing vigorously back and forth in its mouth, and throws it!
Now the fox runs back and forth, swiping at the thing, counting coup, picking it up and tossing it into the air. At first I think the fox has found a bit of trash, it looks like it has a plastic bag. Then I burst out laughing. The Grey fox has slain Grey, the Pond Pearl. Grey is now just a limp flap of plastic riddled with puncture holes. The fox circles its prey, warily creeping up to sniff at it, then leap back, as if not sure if it was still alive.
After a while the fox leaves the deflated heap of plastic and approaches the pond. Apparently, the fox believes that Grey may yet get up and come after it, because halfway to the pond it goes back to check if Grey is still dead. Finally, the fox comes to the pond for a drink. This is followed by another round of running, pouncing, leaping into the air, and Grey tossing, just for good measure. The fox plays just like dogs do, with maybe a few cat moves thrown in; it's sort of a cat-dog dance.
Our local foxes are unique in that they can climb trees. Grey foxes can shimmy sixty feet or more, straight up a fir tree with no side branches. They can leap from tree to tree. Their nests can be thirty feet in the air! They eat rodents but are just as happy to live on fruit and bugs. My fox likes to spar with floppy rubber spheres.
"Find gratitude in the little things and your well of gratitude will never run dry." - Antonia Montoya
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