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Dawn raid
Sultry, about 20° with a sky loaded with layers of dirty wadded cotton-wool.
Woken this morning at dawn by a riot in the chicken coop. Not only the usual morning cacophany of seven juvenile cockerels and a big guy, but also the bell-like call of distress and the cackling of panic.
Jumped out of bed, sending a surprising number of cats skittering (can they all be mine?). Bleary-eyed, I belted down three flights of stairs, out of the front door, and sprinted through the sleeping village. Then came the 500m uphill hop-skip-and-jump across the cobbles and the stepping stones to the coop. In PJs and bare feet.
There, as my eyes finally focused, I saw a large fox, shining gold in the morning sunlight and looking handsome as all get-out. He was pacing the perimeter fence dangerously.
Having lost one Chicken Licken to the chicken hawk the other day, I was glad to see Foxy Loxy off.
This time...
Image: The Fox of Highgate, linocut 38 x28 cm, Jazmin Velasco.
Dawn raid
Sultry, about 20° with a sky loaded with layers of dirty wadded cotton-wool.
Woken this morning at dawn by a riot in the chicken coop. Not only the usual morning cacophany of seven juvenile cockerels and a big guy, but also the bell-like call of distress and the cackling of panic.
Jumped out of bed, sending a surprising number of cats skittering (can they all be mine?). Bleary-eyed, I belted down three flights of stairs, out of the front door, and sprinted through the sleeping village. Then came the 500m uphill hop-skip-and-jump across the cobbles and the stepping stones to the coop. In PJs and bare feet.
There, as my eyes finally focused, I saw a large fox, shining gold in the morning sunlight and looking handsome as all get-out. He was pacing the perimeter fence dangerously.
Having lost one Chicken Licken to the chicken hawk the other day, I was glad to see Foxy Loxy off.
This time...
Image: The Fox of Highgate, linocut 38 x28 cm, Jazmin Velasco.
5 comments:
What an adventure! Well done you for saving the chicks... thank goodness they are good at waking up the neighbourhood in times of distress.
Those wild critters can cause such a problem. We have all sorts - even in our neighborhood. I hear them killing each other at night.
Hi Debbie -- it's like that living in south London these days...
With us, it's the coyotes. I think a fox would be much prettier, but I still wouldn't want him near our chickens.
Amazing rescue! I had no idea you have to sprint through the village - hope your feet are ok! Hey Foxy - don't mess with Louise!!
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