All I can say is thank you God!!!
Thank God for alert ducks
Thank God for instinct even in animals that are used to dogs.
Thank God for giving me the strength to be up at 4 in the morning.
Thank God for Daphne's big mouth.
Thank God for giving me the ability to hear the difference in her voice.
And thank God that no one saw me or if they did at least they did not call the police. Yet.
You know, I wondered why last night the Muscovy's knocked down the fence that keeps them in the end of the yard...the dark end. I wondered why they did not go to their area like they usually do, why I could hardly get them to go down there tonight. I think I know why now!!!
So, there I am, hurrying to get to bed for at least a couple of hours sleep before going to try and catch more cats (with problems that I do not need and no one will ever adopt). I had toyed with the idea of leaving the ducks and geese out back because it would be dawn in 1/2 hour and I haven't even seen any fox for about 9 months.
I turned on the shower, shucked off my clothes (ahhhh...is there any better feeling?) and am standing there petting Jonah while waiting for the water to get hot....and I hear Daphne go off.
When you are around any type of animal for very long, if you listen, you soon begin to recognize what different vocalizations mean. You don't have to know what they are saying to know what they mean and what they are doing. Well, let me tell you, it took about three quacks for me to know something was terribly wrong and I started screaming and yelling for Daphne before I even got the door open. (Fortunately there is a door to the back yard in that bathroom or I might have made one.)
I flung the door open calling frantically for Daphne who was continuing to scream and holler at the top of her lungs and there it was right on the other side of the tangerine tree.
People scoff at me, "what do you mean you have a fox problem, how could you? You are in the middle of the city!" HAH! I came home from work one Friday afternoon and found all but two of my hens slaughtered IN THEIR PEN! Most of them had their heads chewed off (Yum such a delicacy) and a couple of them were missing. That is one of the worst days of my life! Chickens are a great picture of total innocence and to think of anything so innocent dying in total terror really really upsets me.
So there I am, buck ass naked, standing back lit by the bathroom screaming for Daphne. I didn't even know what was wrong. lol (you know hysterical females!) Then I saw what looked like a ratty cat standing, just looking at the crazy screaming naked woman. Now, me, naked, screaming and with steam billowing around me is enough to make full grown men turn and run. But not this fox. The sucker just stood looking at me and then instead of running starts heading for the little wading pool where Waldo (imbecile that he is) was still merrily paddling away looking at Daphne as if to say WHAAAAAT is wrong with you this time.
So I did it...yes I did!! I ran (remember... buck ass naked) out that door yelling with all my might as I charged that damned fox. It stood there for minute, just staring, before running off. I am trying to tell myself that the glory of my fat, a bit past middle aged self held that fox in total awe, but I am afraid that it was really laughing so hard inside at the vision it beheld. Certainly it did not seem to be very impressed or concerned.
Meanwhile I'm yelling (and you know how loud I am), Daphne is quacking an alarm (You know how loud she is) The old geese are struggling to get up (they remember Jack's murder) ...and Waldo the ignorant is still paddling away in his pool!
I have not had my shower yet because after chasing everyone up front and moving the Muscovy's in with the others, I sat on the back step with a 3030 and a shotgun...waiting for my friend the cute little fox. And a protected fox at that. I believe it was a Kit Fox because it was full grown and about the size of a cat. Oh, and I did put on some clothes.
So if someone tells you about their crazy neighbor who runs around screaming at night...you just proudly tell them, "Hey, I know her!"
Thank God for alert ducks
Thank God for instinct even in animals that are used to dogs.
Thank God for giving me the strength to be up at 4 in the morning.
Thank God for Daphne's big mouth.
Thank God for giving me the ability to hear the difference in her voice.
And thank God that no one saw me or if they did at least they did not call the police. Yet.
You know, I wondered why last night the Muscovy's knocked down the fence that keeps them in the end of the yard...the dark end. I wondered why they did not go to their area like they usually do, why I could hardly get them to go down there tonight. I think I know why now!!!
So, there I am, hurrying to get to bed for at least a couple of hours sleep before going to try and catch more cats (with problems that I do not need and no one will ever adopt). I had toyed with the idea of leaving the ducks and geese out back because it would be dawn in 1/2 hour and I haven't even seen any fox for about 9 months.
I turned on the shower, shucked off my clothes (ahhhh...is there any better feeling?) and am standing there petting Jonah while waiting for the water to get hot....and I hear Daphne go off.
When you are around any type of animal for very long, if you listen, you soon begin to recognize what different vocalizations mean. You don't have to know what they are saying to know what they mean and what they are doing. Well, let me tell you, it took about three quacks for me to know something was terribly wrong and I started screaming and yelling for Daphne before I even got the door open. (Fortunately there is a door to the back yard in that bathroom or I might have made one.)
I flung the door open calling frantically for Daphne who was continuing to scream and holler at the top of her lungs and there it was right on the other side of the tangerine tree.
People scoff at me, "what do you mean you have a fox problem, how could you? You are in the middle of the city!" HAH! I came home from work one Friday afternoon and found all but two of my hens slaughtered IN THEIR PEN! Most of them had their heads chewed off (Yum such a delicacy) and a couple of them were missing. That is one of the worst days of my life! Chickens are a great picture of total innocence and to think of anything so innocent dying in total terror really really upsets me.
So there I am, buck ass naked, standing back lit by the bathroom screaming for Daphne. I didn't even know what was wrong. lol (you know hysterical females!) Then I saw what looked like a ratty cat standing, just looking at the crazy screaming naked woman. Now, me, naked, screaming and with steam billowing around me is enough to make full grown men turn and run. But not this fox. The sucker just stood looking at me and then instead of running starts heading for the little wading pool where Waldo (imbecile that he is) was still merrily paddling away looking at Daphne as if to say WHAAAAAT is wrong with you this time.
So I did it...yes I did!! I ran (remember... buck ass naked) out that door yelling with all my might as I charged that damned fox. It stood there for minute, just staring, before running off. I am trying to tell myself that the glory of my fat, a bit past middle aged self held that fox in total awe, but I am afraid that it was really laughing so hard inside at the vision it beheld. Certainly it did not seem to be very impressed or concerned.
Meanwhile I'm yelling (and you know how loud I am), Daphne is quacking an alarm (You know how loud she is) The old geese are struggling to get up (they remember Jack's murder) ...and Waldo the ignorant is still paddling away in his pool!
I have not had my shower yet because after chasing everyone up front and moving the Muscovy's in with the others, I sat on the back step with a 3030 and a shotgun...waiting for my friend the cute little fox. And a protected fox at that. I believe it was a Kit Fox because it was full grown and about the size of a cat. Oh, and I did put on some clothes.
So if someone tells you about their crazy neighbor who runs around screaming at night...you just proudly tell them, "Hey, I know her!"