Watching from the kitchen window, we observed three healthy fox run around the perimeter of the hen house, playing with each other as if no one was watching. One ran south while another ran north. One simply plopped down on the grass about 20 feet from the hen’s yard. They were healthy fox which is always good to see after a few years of seeing rather emaciated and even a three legged red tail fox on our land. Because we have hens, and because we have plenty of acreage of contiguous forest, we also have fox dens. We found one in the back field, and while not closing it for the fox, we did put some boards on top to prevent our dogs from digging in. Another in the hillside is not of interest to our dogs — not their usual hang out. They seem to take greater interest in the chipmunks who abound on our property, who burrow just about anywhere there is dirt, some rocks, or bushes to offer coverage, though their presence among the sizable wood piles and brush heaps are what seem to attract the most attention. Many a day one of our dogs has come up from some part of the property as proud as can be, exhausted as possible without collapsing from none other than chasing chipmunks. I have never seen them catch one but I have also never witnessed their spotting one and letting it simply be. As a form of play, they seem to have some sort of relationship; as the chipmunks in different areas of the property are chased depending on the time of day. It’s become a sort of ritual on Dog Wood Farm, and one I am glad to report, has never ended with any casualties other than the occasional dog foot or dog nose, that was apparently stuck inside a rain spout a little too far in pursuit, one more time, of one of Dog Wood Farm’s many chipmunks. Today the foxes came, but the dogs did not notice. Perhaps the Chipmunks did.
