Wild Things

"Mommy, Mommy, come quick, there is something in the front fence."

"What is it honey?"

"Oh it's a little mouse!"

"A real mouse or a pretend mouse?"

"A real mouse. Uhm . . . it's a baby fox!"

"A real baby fox or a pretend baby fox?" (I'm beginning to doubt this entire story now, and dragging my feet)

"A REAL baby fox!" (Hmm, "real" is usually still pretty accurate around here. I should probably head outside.)

"Inside the fence or outside the fence?" Slightly worried. "Did you touch it?"

"Nope. Outside the fence!"

"I'm coming. Is it moving?"

" It's dead. But not a lot of holes with bleed coming out. Just one hole, like this, with a little bit of bleed! Oh you're going to love it."

"I doubt it."

I step around the corner and see Shayk outside the fence.

"How did she get out?"

"She pushed!"

She's got a small pile of fur, still seems to be knawing . .

"Shayk, LEAVE IT!"

I go through the gate to find a small hole in the ground, lined with dried grass and fur. And a bit of fur left in the grass.

"Rayne, I think Shayk got it."

"Well, Cassie got one. Inside the fence! Then Shayky got that one."

"What???!"

"Cassie, then Shayky!"

"Oh, heavens."

I let Shayk back out, then feel guilty, shoo her away, and poke at the little hole with a stick making sure no tiny . . . somethings are left to be sacrificed. Nothing.

I'm guessing rabbit, from the fur, but could the nest be so tiny?

Shayk returns to Cassie, and they sniff around a grassy area inside the fence as though cleaning up after . . . whatever. Yeah, I'm thinking Cassie probably did have "one" inside the fence too.

I have no idea what it was that Rayne saw. Back inside the vinyl fence I notice that the gate has been actually gnawed, and no doubt pushed, to the extent that a screw has popped out of the cross support.

Sigh.

I have no reason for sharing this story at all . . . No moral, no great truth learned. To think, I put them outside to keep her safe . . .