Fox

Out for a stroll and a meal.

When I am alone I can become invisible. I can sit
on the top of a dune as motionless as an uprise of weeds,
until the foxes run by unconcerned. I can hear the almost
unhearable sound of the roses singing.

~ Mary Oliver

Beautiful.

I wish I could write as well as Mary Oliver.  I know what she means about becoming invisible when she is alone.  I have a similar talent when I take the time to sit or stand still for a while.  It’s how I learned to photograph dragonflies and hummingbirds, by becoming either a stature or invisible.

Back in September. My first sighting. I had the little point-and-shoot with me and this was the best picture I could get with that camera.

I think this is the third or fourth time I’ve met up with a fox while out on my daily walks.  What you can’t see in the photo above is the flock of chickens that were in the soybean field chowing down on the soybeans.  I’ve heard that farmers don’t care for foxes (the old “fox in the hen house” adage comes to mind), but I suspect the farmer who is growing the soybeans might not have minded this fox very much.

There’s something down there. A mole or vole, maybe?

Autumn, to me, is the best season for sitting outside and becoming invisible.  The air is cooler, the biting insects are mostly gone (judging by the itch around my ankles after a walk through the grasses, I’m pretty sure there are still a few chiggers out there), and the critters that are here are getting themselves ready for winter.  They are less likely to notice me, or care if they do.

They really are very cat-like when they hunt and pounce.

According to several websites, the Celts believed the fox to be a spirit guide and they honored it for its wisdom.  It is associated with adaptability and shape-shifting.  The fox has also been known as cunning and a trickster, too.  (“Sly as a fox.”)  The word cunning (from cunnand, cunnan, kunnen, etc.; spelling used to vary greatly back in the 1300’s) used to mean simply “to know” or “possessing knowledge.”  Folk magicians (the psychics of that time period) in the 1500’s were known as cunning folk.  The cunning folk differed from witches.  Witches were thought to be evil whereas cunning folk were often used to remove curses from witches.  The word has changed meaning slightly over time until we finally arrived at cunning as crafty, sly, deceptive.  (Side note:  There is another C word, one that garnered some attention not long ago when Samantha Bee used it to describe the daughter of 46-minus-1, that has similar roots, cu or ku or ke, meaning “to know.”  Cu was considered feminine and related to words such as queen and cow.)

Looking away.

This particular fox didn’t seem to be trying to play tricks.  I think she was enjoying the sunshine and lovely autumn weather while out on a hunt for some food.

Watchful.

Well, I meant to take us for a walk in the woods, but the fox took up most of my time today.  There are beautiful things happening outside right now.  The leaves are finally taking on their fall colors, the sky is autumn-blue, and the air is so fresh it almost stings the inside of the nose.

Morning moon.

Thank you for visiting with me and the fox today.  Let’s meet out at the Point for sunset.  It’s scheduled for 6:08 PM.  Although it’s been fairly warm today (around 70°F), it’s still blustery.  You’ll need a jacket, maybe some gloves and a hat.  Once the sun gets near the horizon, the temperature drops and the wind off the water feels pretty cold.

Be good, be kind, be loving.  Just Be.  🙂

Yesterday’s sunset.

A few of the 10,000 reasons to be happy:  911)  Spending time with a fox.  912)  The autumnal songs that the wind and water have been singing.  913)  The light in the woods this morning.  914)  My Mockingbird friend who comes out to see me when I whistle “Ode to Joy.”  915)  The Insight Timer app.  I’ve been using it to time my meditation practice and I love it.  I tried one of the yoga nidra guided meditations the other night.  It was so relaxing and wonderful.

Wavy and foamy.

Walktober note:  The Walktober round-up post will go up on Thursday, November 1.  If you don’t have your walk posted sometime today or tonight, it’s unlikely I’ll be able to include it, but I’ll certainly try if you give me a heads up.

Two in the morning.