Everyone and Thing Is Simply Unique

Circumstances were the reason I left my home in a small town after living there for almost 46yrs. Our home set on an acre of land with the edge of the property dropping off into the river. We shared our yard with many different animals, some would just cross and go on about their daily business while others would stay.

We had a lone male fox that had lost its mate living in his fox hole in the backyard. He would lay along the small area we fenced in for the dog and the grandchildren. When he was feeling ornery he would get in the flower bed and throw dirt all around and look in the window to see who was watching, I just laughed.

At night he would protect the yard like a dog and even bark at different things. He was very gallant and had a great personality. I did take left overs and leave them on a buried rock down along the river but never did try to pet him. It was a quiet understanding between us.

There was a family of woodchucks living in the washed out part of the bank where the tree limbs that were floating down the river would lodge making the woodchucks a nice place to hide.

When we planted a garden we would put lettuce along the edge so the woodchucks would have something to eat also. In springtime the baby woodchucks would come up from the riverbank and stealthily make their way across the yard to the nice crisp lettuce waiting there for them. If they saw someone while crossing the little area of grass, they would lay flat on the ground and close their eyes, thinking we could no longer see them. They were beautiful little beings with their big eyes and their silver coats, and so wonderfully naive.

I believe, from his size, it was the father woodchuck that would sit in the V of the big old Elm tree near the river. He would happily sit there eating in the shade for quite a long time some days.

I was on the riding mower one day and forgot to look to see if he was in the tree. The next thing I knew we almost collided when he ran down the tree and headed back to the river not far away. It just startled us both, never scared us.

The family of woodchucks, 2 parents and 5 babies knew we would never hurt them, as did the fox that lived in our yard.

As circumstances that come with age I ended up moving to a bigger city into an apartment complex surrounded by people, a new thing for me. That was a bit overwhelming and I was fortunate enough to find a duplex in a nice little neighborhood that fits a little better.

I am making plans to attract the birds and butterflies into my backyard and continue living in my own little world with the animals and writing stories.

I love people but it’s going to take time to get used to them, animals are so much more simple.