Red Fox Family

One evening in mid-May I came home from work to find Chip in the back yard watching four baby foxes frolic and play games in our grass. It was seriously the cutest thing ever. They would run and jump on one another and roll around and around. I got some video of it, but I'm having trouble getting it off of my phone.

A few days later, this little guy established a new favorite lounging spot on the top of the hill in our side yard. He (or she?) would visit this spot frequently. I saw him here in the early morning, when I came home for lunch, and sometimes in the evening.

A few days later, we discovered that they had dug a hole in the hill for their home.You can see it in the photo below, in the bottom left corner.

A pair of fox babies.

And here is one of the foxes heading into the hole down on the left side of the photo.

A few weeks later and they were already growing up and growing more brave. One day I came home for lunch, and this little guy (gal?) was on our deck. He saw me through the door. At first he was curious, but when he came closer, I scared him off.

Once afternoon, Chip even spotted one of the in the street!

And I found one in the ditch digging around for frogs. She got one, too, and ran off with it in her mouth.

We haven't seen them around our yard in about a week. I've had two sightings in the neighborhood this week, but it is difficult to tell whether the foxes I spotted are "our" foxes. We've had lots of rain lately, so maybe it flooded their hole here, and they went to a different home. Or maybe their mama came and got them and took them back to their real home. I really don't know. I'm kinda worried about them, and I hope they are okay.

All in all it has been such a fun experience to have a little fox family to watch. One of my neighbors said that red foxes have been long time residents of the woods behind our houses. I love it!

What's Happening?!

May has been an exciting month for us!

Mark Grayson opening a gift from my mom.
My Grandma in the background.

My nephew celebrated his 3rd birthday on May 5th. He is such a cute child, and I can't believe how fast he's growing up.

On May 8th I celebrated my 32nd birthday. It was book club night, and my friend Sage hosted. She has the most adorable triplets, and I attempted to feed sweet Anna a bottle before her bedtime. Little did I know that Anna is a very slow eater.  I did okay, and I am going to need the practice because...

The next morning I had an appointment with my OB/GYN to find out that I am having a baby girl! Baby Girl is due October 5th. I am about 5 months along, and so far everything has been great. I've had very little nausea although I've had plenty of the normal "symptoms" like nosebleeds and back pain. I have generally been able to keep up my normal routine. The garden, however, is a different story. I get so darn tired after working in the yard for just an hour or so. I have made some improvements that I would like to share, though, so I'll be posting garden pictures eventually.

On May 18th my brother, sister-in-law, and both nephews visited for a night in Oxford. It was so much fun! On Friday evening we walked over to a nearby pond and fed the fish some bread. We were looking for ducks, but the ducks didn't show. We had lasagna and salad and watched Wallace and Grommet. Then, on Saturday morning I made waffles, eggs, and bacon... a full breakfast. Something I never do. It was delicious. We went to the park at midmorning and had a great time playing with the kids. I really enjoyed having family visit and can't wait to do it again.

In kitty news, Walle has gotten massive. We got him a cat tree on overstock.com and put in front of a sliding door in the office. He's really taken to it. It's his favorite spot in the house. He naps on the very top platform.

I can't believe it is already June. I have exciting news about a family of foxes that have made their new home in our yard. Once I download the photos, I'll get a post together. Maybe tonight. They're awesome!