Wherefore Art Thou Felicia? Along With Other Ramblings...

It was back on May 3rd that I posted about seeing Felicia out in our backyard chomping down on a baby squirrel. We have not seen her since and believe me, I go out every day to check. Felicia and her family have disappeared from our property without a trace. I know where several of her dens are and I go out to check every day but they are just gone. It makes me want to cry.


I used to see Felicia every single day sunning on the fence, where she could keep a watchful eye on her pups. Sometimes I'd see her sleeping on our sidewalk in the back yard. She was like a permanent fixture around here and I desperately miss seeing her.

I found no note or poop or anything to suggest they had moved elsewhere. They are just gone. I suspect that when we had the flooding rains for days, Felicia wisely moved the pups to higher ground, with the help of her faithful Fernando. I didn't go out to the garden during the flooding, but I knew their *summer home* would be flooded since it's under the old playhouse. Yes, I'm crushed. I loved protecting them and doubt that anyone else will protect them as we did. Sniff Sniff! So yes, this has left me rather depressed...

So, I've moved on to another species. I've had my hummingbird feeders up for at least a month (or more) and haven't seen more than one. Why, you ask? Because I now have an entire coven flock of Finches who have major sweet tooths. I think the hummingbirds are scared to try and get any nectar from the two feeders. Perhaps I'm finally ready to accept this. The Finches are really funny and they like to hang upside down like trapeze artists to get the hummingbird nectar. They completely crack me up!


Life goes on...



On an unrelated note, I seem to be losing readers on a daily basis... Have I really gotten that boring?.

Fernando And Felicia Fox Are Officially Back At Their Summer Home...

For the last week, our cat Trouble refuses to go outside via the back doors, only agreeing to go out the front door and sit there on the porch until she comes back in. Hmmmm... I suppose that should have been my first inkling as to the fox family presence. I also haven't seen any squirrels as of late, which is always indicative of the presence of one or more foxes.


Today, Felicia graced us with an appearance which lasted a good 15 to 20 minutes. She looks wonderfully healthy and her coat is nice and shiny, which is always a good indication. My foremost reason for watching her this afternoon was to see if I could determine whether she is still pregnant or not. I can say, without doubt, that Felicia is no longer preggers and I believe she just had her babies this last week. Since they are blind for the first 10 days of life, I won't be seeing them for another week or more.

During the time I spent watching her, she disappeared for a few minutes and the next time I saw her she was devouring a fresh squirrel that she caught on her own. She was at least polite enough to turn her back to the house while doing so. Fortunately, Mr. Snoots was able to catch a couple of shots of her during the *pigging out* process, which I just couldn't do.  Then, I realized that she's obviously nursing her pups because she ate like she was starved. I know she isn't starved because Mr. Snoots tosses a squirrel over the fence to the garden almost daily. Also, she didn't look fat anymore.

In other words, we have fox pups people! This means I need to get my derriere in gear and get that web camera. The problem is, when I start looking at them on the web, I begin to get dazed and confused at the dizzying array of choices. Obviously, I'm going to need professional help. However, if anyone reading this has any suggestions, please feel free to offer them since I now feel pressured for time. I'm thinking I've got 7 days at best, to buy the camera and get it mounted in the garden.

After spending the day doing Google searches for the best outdoor web cameras, I think we might have a winner! Click here. The main problem is that it's more than 75' across the back lawn to the garden fence and most web cams can't reach beyond 50' or 60'. Sure, I could spend $300.00 to $1,000.00 on one that would practically set itself up for me, but I'm not going to do that. Frankly, I'm not willing to go over $100.00 but I still want a decent one. Once I find the right web cam I'll need to figure out how to get it mounted on the fence, overlooking the old garden (where the fox pups will be romping and playing) and how to get it working without going into brain lock over it. And frankly, I'm bound to go into brain lock over the whole thing. It's my normal Modus Operandi.

Guess Who I Saw Today?

(This was actually written yesterday...)I saw the lovely Felicia.... It's been bitterly cold for our region and she was in the backyard, laying in the flowerbed where the Oleanders are. She looked so cold that I told Mr. Snoots that I wanted to go out and put a blanket over her.

He merely raised his eyebrow and gave me that "Are you totally insane?" look.

Okay, fine. So, I didn't take a blanket out to her. Poor baby. However, Mr. Snoots did snag a squirrel the other day that he heaved over the fence into the garden. As usual, it was gone thirty minutes later. You know she has to love us! We are like the most awesome landowners where foxes live, ever.

Desert Duffers Golf Tournament Weekend And Fox Pictures

Be sure to click on the pictures for a full size view.

Felicia stopped to pose for me one evening, on the fence to the garden.

We are leaving today to go play in a two-day golf tournament outside of Dallas with our large golf group called Desert Duffers, so I thought I'd leave you with the most recent pictures of our little fox family.

And I know you'll all want to tune in on Monday to find out about whatever misadventures I've found myself in during this tournament. As always, it should be interesting to see if I show my ass again. It's been hellishly hot and we all know what happens to me in the heat, when I'm drinking and playing golf.... Thank goodness we're playing with friends that are used to my antics. Truth be told, I think they all like it when I misbehave and they tend to urge me on. However, Mr. Snooty doesn't like it, but he should really be used to me by now.

Anyway, this is the first of three tournaments we have with this group every year, so if I'm not naughty this time, I'm sure I will be the next time.

Also, several of the hubbys play guitar, so we usually sit around at night, singing and listening to some really amazing guitarists. Hell, we might even sing a round of Cumbaya (Koom-By-Ya).

Most of the time, Felicia seems to be resting while the pups are either asleep or off hunting with their Dad.
Her favorite new place is up on the cinderblock fence, amongst the Trumpet Vine.

The pups are really growing and seem to be getting some wise advice from Mr. Owl.

One... Two... Three... Huh?

Mr. Snooty and I have had the busiest last week! There are two weddings coming up so we've had lots of parties to attend. We've also been playing a lot of golf since the weather has been so nice this year. However, we've been keeping tabs on Felicia The Fox and her growing pups on a daily basis.




Yes, my garden is shot to Hell. It's much more fun watching the FOUR Fox pups play out in my garden. That's right. I said four. For the first time, we believe we saw all of them. See if you can find them in the pictures.


YOU MUST CLICK ON THIS PICTURE to see the crouching tiger/fox just left of the little house and right of the terra cotta pot.

Yesterday Felicia had a look on her face that I recognized from my own days of motherhood. The look of total exhaustion that only a new mother can have. Judging by the way these little characters carry on, I can only imagine that she must be tired to the bone. They constantly chase each other around the garden and have torn up everything out there that could be destroyed. But, they are absolutely hilarious to watch.



However, Felicia is a fiercely protective mother, so we still only peek over the fence, which she doesn't seem to mind. One afternoon last week I went out to start the water in the garden and I apparently surprised Felicia when she was out with the pups, which seems to be most of the time now. She hissed/growled at me then came toward me, scaring the crapola out of me. I never knew I could run so fast.



So, I guess if I'm going to have a garden, then it's going to have to be a Fall garden… I think it's worth it. At least we have tomatoes, which we planted in the *Topsy Turvy* planters that we have hanging from the guesthouse roof. For now, this is far more entertaining...






Oh, and the Midnight Bed Rambler has been at it again.... More on this later.