A "Cat" Sighting

On days with favorable weather, I will sometimes go for walks during my lunch break. Occasionally I wander over to a very "park-like" old cemetery close to my office. It's happens to be the final resting place of many prominent city figures, and both Union and Confederate soldiers. It offers a quiet, shaded place to walk and listen to the birds sing without the intrusion of heavy traffic. (Is that creepy? Maybe a little.) During one of my first trips over there, I noticed a quick movement some distance away, which I understandably mistook for one of the many resident squirrels. Upon closer inspection I realized that it was no squirrel, but an adult gray fox that seemed to be stalking something.

After a moment she disappeared behind an antique shrub and I quickly noticed a flurry of motion spill out the opposite side of the shrub. Since I thought the fox was hunting, I initially assumed I was watching a fleeing rabbit or squirrel, but I was surprised to realize I actually was witnessing the chaos of a family reunion. The flurry was a couple of her tiny babies engaging in an impassioned sibling wrestling match. With all the commotion, it was very hard to say, but there seemed to be about six. I kept quiet and still and maintained a reasonable distance away so as not to intrude.

I went back the next day and unexpectedly met the father. He was lounging upon a concrete bench 1o feet from me. He casually turned his eyes to meet mine when my footsteps stopped, but he didn't run away. He just looked me over for several seconds, determined I was not a threat and walked right past me. I think he was probably expecting handouts, but I wasn't sure that was a healthy precedent for either of us whether I had anything to offer or not.

On a Sunday afternoon that Heather didn't have to work we decided to drive down to the cemetery for a fox hunt. We drove through the areas I had seen them before , but were unsuccessful in spotting any. I assumed they had moved their den or were avoiding the afternoon sun. Either way I was disappointed that Heather and the kids weren't going to share my discovery.

After driving around for a while unsuccessfully, we decided to move along. From the backseat we heard Norah very clearly say "Cat!" Without looking I knew what she must have spotted. I looked over my shoulder as I stopped the car and saw Norah pointing a finger at the window behind her. As we backed up we saw one of the adult foxes enjoying a break, resting on top of a tombstone. We were all proud of Norah's eagle eyes and took a couple pictures to share.