A wily old dog fox called FredLounged on a garden shed -
Surveying the greenery,
South Sheffield scenery
And the pigeons that flew overhead.
Fred the old dog fox becomes more brazen with each passing week. Yesterday morning, Shirley came bounding back upstairs to disturb her slumbering master in a state of great excitement. I thought my luck was in or perhaps we had won the National Lottery, but no, she needed to tell me that Fred Fox was sunning himself on the roof of a neighbour's shed.
Leaving my unfinished dream of a weekend in a Swedish cabin with Ulrika Jonsson behind, I bounded downstairs in my birthday suit to retrieve my camera, not expecting to find the local vicar at the bottom of our staircase. Fortunately, he wasn't.
Back in the bedroom, I flung back the curtains. Jill next door was putting out her washing and had an unexpected and may I say rather pleasant surprise when she looked up. I waved at her as she scurried back inside clutching her peg bag.
Then I snapped these fresh pictures of Fred Fox:-
During Saturday, I did quite a lot of garden work before watching the FA Cup Final on television - live from Wembley Stadium. I left my Bosch lawnmower out on the grass next to two thick foam mats I use when kneeling down. After the game had finished, I went into the kitchen to make the evening meal and there was Fred Fox lying next to the lawnmower atop my kneeling mats. Now that really is "taking the piss" as less cultured bloggers might observe.
Urban foxes!
ReplyDeleteI once watched a dog fox playing with a jack russell in the grounds of the soinal injury unit at the northern general
It was 6 am.....and they played togetherr like best friends
Perhaps they were in love... or Foxy Loxy fancied some tasty Jack Russell for lunch.
DeleteWhy do you call it a dog fox? have they bred with feral dogs?
ReplyDeleteDog foxes are male and vixens are female. I don't think we have feral dogs in England - feral cats yes but not feral dogs.
DeleteThe most brazen we've had local wildlife was during the time we still had a cat, with a cat-door. A possum came in through the garage, up the stairs, and was in the kitchen munching the cat's food, not 20 feet from us. It took a while, but we finally did catch the beast and threw him/her (didn't care enough to notice) back off the deck into the woods behind the house. Then we closed up the cat doors.
ReplyDeleteCruel Mary! You could have adopted him as a pet - Percy Possum. How cool would that have been? Your friends and neighbours would have been mightily impressed and Percy could have snuggled up with you on chilly winter nights or watched TV. The cat flap could have been renamed "the possum flap".
DeleteThe last picture is classic. Could he watch TV from there? Though why he would want to watch football I can't imagine.
ReplyDeleteHe has got to be a Leicester City* fan and they weren't playing yesterday.
Delete*aka The Foxes
Do you know how old he is, for calling him an old dog fox? A look at the first picture show a remarkably white set of teeth, with none missing. Maybe he regularly flosses them, who knows. Any idea how he got up there on the roof?
ReplyDeleteThe bit about the vicar at the bottom of your stairs and the neighbour with her peg bag made me laugh out loud. Thank you! (Yes, I know. I really am that easy to amuse.)
He has a limp and several battle scars and the way he looks at me sends out the vibe of experience. How did he get up on the shed roof? That is one of the mysteries of the universe Miss Arian. I am glad I made you giggle.
DeleteLooks like he could do with a decent meal - or are foxes supposed to look like that? Try leaving some chips out for him!
ReplyDeleteI meant to buy him a couple of cheap cans of dog food from "Lidl" when I went shopping today. Maybe next time. He is rather skinny. Maybe I should have christened him Brian!
DeletePoor old Fred...he does look as if he's in need of a good feed, dear Fred.
ReplyDeleteWe've got foxes around here, but I've not yet seen one; others have, though.
I did manage to get up close and personal to one years ago shortly after my ex and I moved to the coast to live. He allowed me to pat him on the nose. 'Tis the fox I refer to re the nose patting, not my ex!!
Perhaps if he had patted your nose a little more Lee - he wouldn't be your ex! After all you are a foxy lady!
DeleteA fox could be fun to have around if you have no chickens.
ReplyDeleteWe had chicken for dinner tonight and I put the remains out for Fred. I can't understand why chicken keepers have such an aversion to foxes.
DeleteWell, he's a handsome old fellow and I think you're lucky to have a fox hanging around. I've only seen one fox in person and he took off like a shot as soon as he saw me.
ReplyDeleteMy eternally pessimistic husband just walked past and I showed him the pictures of your fox. He said, "He better watch out, that fox could be rabid." Always looking on the bright side, that man of mine. Jeez.
DeleteTell Hubby that we have no rabies in The British Isles. With regard to the fox taking off when he saw you, I hope that this didn't knock your confidence.
DeleteWow! Though I do not like foxes ( especially here where they are feral animals that have killed off a lot of our defenceless wildlife) he looks a bit old and thin doesn't he. He obviously feels pretty safe in your yard....or is he after Bo and Peep and he's just lulling them into a false sense of security? I think you should adopt him in his old age, he might like his own kennel in your backyard.
ReplyDeleteSeveral times I have tried to call him to me like a pet dog but like your Tony he remains a wild animal Helen. He has sniffed at Beau and Peep and once cocked his leg up to urinate on Beau's head. Surprisingly Beau didn't react. I think she was frozen with fear.
DeleteAh, you've just gotta love old Fred the Fox and his bold attitude.
ReplyDeleteI'm sending this post link to another of my blog reads who lives in London and they have a neighbourhood fox too.
Ms Soup
Yorkshiremen don't consort with Londoners for they are our sworn enemies Alphie. However, your action as an intermediary may begin the process of peace and reconciliation so I forgive you.
DeleteI was standing in the window of friend's house near Glasgow last week when a fox wandered into the garden in broad daylight with people and traffic around and just stared at me nonchalantly before continuing its journey.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in the East Yorkshire countryside and the most we ever saw of a fox was a distant gingery figure hurrying into woods or through hedges. They were very wary of humans but I guess these urban foxes realise that no huntsmen with dogs are going to come galloping through our back gardens.
DeleteThanks for a wonderful, funny story Mr. Pudding. I needed it this morning. Is it true that there are no rabies in the British Isles? We have lots of foxes on the mountain. I am used to seeing them often...and their kits this time of year.
ReplyDeleteI think your readers ought to get together and demand that a limerick begin each of your posts.
Yes it is true. We have no rabies here. One of the advantages of living on an island in a temperate climate. These limericks I have composed recently have made my brain hurt but if I kept at it I might invent some limericks that truly met with my own hypercritical approval. I will try a few more in the weeks ahead.
DeleteI am not sure that the local pigeons and cats would agree Sheila. Thanks for calling by.
ReplyDeleteYou put a humorous twist on this post; glad the vicar wasn't standing there. I like that fox, quite a gorgeous guy.
ReplyDeleteWondrous! I am quite envious of your new vi
ReplyDeletesitor, laying there in the sun on a nice soft pillow of sponge. This may interest you: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn27675?cmpid=NLC%7CNSNS%7C2015-1106-GLOBAL&utm_medium=NLC&utm_source=NSNS#.VXnxgHDvmrU
ReplyDelete