Crazy like a fox?

Destroyed Fuse 

It was such a crazy day for April 21.  We had two rounds of storms, trees down all over the area, lightening stuck the fuse just outside our home.  Thankfully, we never lost power but everyone south of us did.

Adorable! 

Youngest texted me with a picture of a puppy that was found at church between some storage buildings, between the crazy storms.  He has a bit of a soft heart for critters like the rest of our family.  Said it was going to be taken to the pound if someone didn't take it. I told him to send it home with Daddy and we would care for it until it was Adoptable age.  Poor thing still had it's eyes and ears closed.  A lady, who works with Gerber Baby foods was at the church preparing for a special Mom and Baby event they do each year at our church, rushed out and bought a bottle and some puppy formula.  Youngest had already named it Bear, cause that was written on the box he sent it home in.

Honey said it was up to me because I would be the one taking care of it all the time, so while the kids napped, I fed the pup from a medicine dropper and kept it warm.  Can you see a "but" coming? As I was holding in, I started to notice that it didn't look like a normal puppy, at least not one I had seen before. It's nose and toes looked different, it was larger than a normal puppy, and it wasn't soft.   I called my cousin who raised Golden Retrievers, and as we talked, and I shared a few pictures of it, she said "Oh, I think it's a fox cub!"  That started a fury of research and googling (that's a word right?), and it did look like a fox pup.  I found out that foxes are legal to keep as pets, so I started to get excited a little bit, until she texted me that she didn't think it was a fox after all.

Lady was NOT impressed nor happy

Yummo!  Feeding time! 

Funny toes and nose

I found a lady in Austin that runs a rescue organization for wild abandoned/injured critters (raccoons, foxes, skunks, coyotes, ettc.) and after a 45 minute conversation with lots of pictures and questions, she determined it was indeed a coyote pup!!!   That started a debate what it's name should have be:  Todd, from Fox and the Hound Disney movie, or Carl, after a man from our church who's last name was Fox. What do you think?

Since they are predatory to small children, and it was a COYOTE, I knew it couldn't stay.   Oldest and I ran back into town and returned it where it was found, and decided to return after dinner to check on it.  We knew it couldn't crawl off on it's own, but it was hard to leave it there defenseless.  I know, I must have been crazy to be worried about this critter. The hard thing about returning it was I knew that at some point, someone would probably shoot it when it reached adulthood, due to coyotes in the city.  So sad!

Thankfully, when we returned, it was gone.  It's momma had returned and claimed it, which was an immense relief.  I really wasn't looking forward to trying to keep this one alive and find a place that takes in coyotes.  So there is my yarn about the day I held a coyote pup, loved it, and was in total awe and wonder about the sweet and rare opportunity we had.

Here a chick, there a memory

I have a confession.  I love going to Tractor Supply or farm supply stores.  I love the smell of the leather, the salt blocks, livestock food...  

I know it goes back to my childhood of having critters around.  The smell of the hay, which occupied half of the barn, permeated every nook and cranny, often housed small gray mice and rats, which scampering one could hear upon creaking open the heavy wood door.   I have memories of standing as still as possible, in the middle of the barn, waiting with baited breath, to see if I could spot of the  critters, stomping on the wood floor to send them to their hiding places again.  It was like a game, but in reality, they weren't really that scared of us.  A large hay hook enabled one to pull a bale from the tower of hay, sectioning off a few squares of hay to fluff for that day's winter feeding.  Plunging the huge metal scoop into the 50 lb bag of horse food.  The pellets spilling about as the horses crowded close to snatch the first bite before the plinking of the falling pellets hit the wood trough.  Their velvety soft noses exploring coat pockets for special apple or carrot treats if you didn't act fast enough.  Tromping to the north end of the pasture, water from the cistern was pumped into the white chipped and dilapidated claw-footed tub that served as a water trough. the horses scattered droplets of cold well water with their noses, shaking their heads before plunging their noses under and blowing bubbles.  

Hefting the 40 lb bag of grain-free lamb dog food in the basket, I glanced towards the back of the store, drawn by the glow of heat lamps in the middle of the aisle.  I was instantly propelled back to my childhood, as I glanced into the huge galvanized feed troughs, from which chirping, fluffy balls of yellow huddled beneath the warming lamps.  If it weren't for the locked enclosure keeping people from handling them, I would have been in the middle of them. 

Growing up, we didn't have a farm implement store close and ordered our baby chicks through the mail. The second you walked into the doors of the post office, the much anticipated peeping of the chicks filled your ears...  Looking back, it was such a wonderful time building memories.  I actually have felt sorry for my own children, that they did not experience the same chores and memories that Honey and I have growing up in more rural settings.

Love came a whining with some sad sad eyes

Lost, no collar, no microchip, but trained and hungry.

Two weeks ago this little female Black and Tan Coonhound pup showed up at our door.  Not wanting  our to see another dog get hit on our busy road, I let her in the house.  Because we all know I need one more thing to take care of...   We quickly figured out she was house trained as she would run to the door when she has to go and gave us about 30 seconds to get moving or start cleaning. 

Penny and Bandit in a tug-a-war over a stick

Oh, I didn't want ANOTHER DOG, we already have two larger type dogs (German Shepherd, Australian shepherd, and now a Coonhound????? 

We called every shelter, vet office, and rescue place seeing if anyone has called in missing her.  None.  Zip.  Nada... So here we are with a $300+ dog... I know that's what I was thinking!  But Only fell in love with her and those floppy ear, the elephant way she thunders through the house, and she snores when sleeping, and attempts to learn the boundaries of her new home.Pretty Pink collar, sleeping on a cushion in her room.  Course she's not fond of those 5 a.m. "I gotta go potty" times, but it will get better, we tell her. 

The "fierce" turtle Penny tracked and hunted down. 

Other morning I caught her baying up a storm and rolling something around in the mud.  I felt so sorry for the poor turtle that cause so much excitement that morning as to warrant being attached by some ferocious yipping, slobbering, sharp toothed beast who was trying to teach him to fly.  It wasn't working.  I finally took the poor creature and let it be free on the outside of the yard.  Penny must have followed it's scent for 5 more minutes before I made her come in.  Whew!  Saved a life! 

So that's some of what is new in our lives.  I'll have to share more later.

LYNNET

Taken Hostage

 Poor Honey was startled this last week

to discover this critter was using 

our TRASHCAN for it's latest home

unwelcome visitor

 Yes, that is a possum that crawled INSIDE a plastic bag on some cool night

seeking shelter in the midst of our trash and baby diapers

 Our family was taken hostage this last week, by the most vial (think skunk smell) and ugly creature, forcing us to store our trash in the garage. Oh, we tried a variety of methods to make it leave

• we asked it nicely (by leaving off the lid)
• not too nicely by kicking the can
• We made fun of it
• we gawked at it
• took pictures
• poked it with a stick
• Honey got out  his BB gun and shot it several times
         (those who may be with PETA please stop reading)
• and put the lid back on. 

Guess what?   Last night when Honey checked on it last night, It was playing possum,  literally!  It had crawled out of the bag and found a more comfy place. When he moved the can it merely stretched like a lazy kitten blinking it's eyes as if to say "Is that all you've got?"

Playing possum

Growing tired of this situation, Honey and Oldest put on their brave faces, took the can and our stinky visitor to the stream beside our house, tipped it over and waited for it to get the hint. 

It did not. So grabbing the nearest eviction notice (a big stick), they prodded and drug it from it's slumber, until it finally had enough.  Our trash can now has a vacancy and we're not looking for new tenants.

 This is probably the most gross thing I've written about and it's
kinda silly that we let such a ugly little creature hold us hostage.  I know there is a spiritual thought tiptoeing quietly through my head, but with a 3 day migraine, it's all I can muster at this point.


We're all laughing about it now, but it was quite the stinky situation!   Have you ever had an unwanted visitor and what did you finally do to get it/them to leave? Would love to hear your story!