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The Very Quick Fox

    One day my wife and I were standing in the back yard at the edge of the woods. We heard dogs baying on a ridge to the west, about a mile away. They seemed to be coming closer to us and we swung around in the direction of the sounds, waiting expectantly. Sure enough, closer and closer they came. The barks and yelps told us the hounds were in hot pursuit of something.
    The only clear view at our place is down the driveway which is 300 feet long. We saw a red fox running up the drive and he had a motley aggregation of hounds right behind him, their tongues hanging out and dripping saliva. I'll never forget the look on the fox's face as he approached. Afraid? I guess not. He appeared to be grinning and was obviously having fun with the dogs.
    The whole bunch came running right up to us, much to our surprise. Then, in an instant, the little fox changed course at an incredible 90 degree angle and accelerated away in a burst of speed that left the dogs in his dust. When the fox made the turn, he almost touched my foot. We soon heard the sounds of the pursuit pass away toward the west again. We were both a little dumbfounded, as you can imagine. Nature's little surprises can rarely be predicted. Would I have liked to have a video of the comical scene? Sure. How do nature photographers manage to get the shots they take? There must be an incredible amount of skill, and luck, involved.
    From the Author's Green Retreat, I'm CE Wills.

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