Another

Jared here, as dad would say in the airport, Hi Jack! so I'm hijacking the blog. Well I've not been feeling well the last couple of nights and have been sleeping upright on the couch. And I use the word sleeping in the loosest of terms. My eustatian tubes are full of fluid and it's difficult for me to sleep, especially after stoping at the Rx yesterday to get some real decongestant the 120mg pseudoephedrine. The Rph even said you know this is the stuff that may keep you up at night. I said yes no problem it's gotta work better than the over the counter fake pseudoephed. He said oh yes that stuff doesn't work, interesting. So I took one about 6pm and around 2am I fell asleep off and on...had the jimmy legs (restless legs) all night long so that didn't help either. Don't worry I'm getting to the point of the story... So I was up to watch the sun rise and peeked outside at the chicken coup with the little bit of day light that was warming up the sky. I was thinking I doubt I'll see the fox. The chicken were locked up all day yesterday as we wouldn't be home in the evening (typical fox hunting time here on our place) as we went to the balloon fest. And I was right I didn't see him. I laid on the couch a while longer, Jacob was awake but laying in bed. He and I were talking back and forth a tad. It was about 7:30am and I was checking out a few crummy sat. morning cartoons, dont' make them like they use too. Of course we only have farmer vision (antenna) and don't get the multiple channels solely devoted to cartoons. I'd gotten up a couple of times to look to the south to see if the balloons were going up over the fair grounds yet...they were suppose to go up between 7 and 7:30 but no luck. So as I laid back on the couch I could hear a bit of commotion with the chickens. Clucking and getting restless in the coup. Out of habit lately when ever I hear them stirring I wander over to the large picture window to watch them. As I looked out, the coup was closed up and the rooster was strutting his stuff in his pen. And then..... to my suprise out from the barn trots a nice size..... FOX!!!!!!! WOW did my heart take off. We have two white chickens that can fly up to the barn rafters and never get locked up... a while back we did have three but thanks to the fox we now have two. I was nervous we might of lost another. The Father-out-law's shot gun was in the closet and I sprinted (faster than Usaine Bolt) to the closet and got the 12 gage super magnum fox blaster out and loaded it faster than a Navy S.E.A.L. I racked in a shell and took the safety off on my way out the door. As I crept out the house like a mouse in the presence of Dust Bunny and my heart was pounding. As I felt the cool crisp air of the morning (some 40 degrees) I realized I had no shoes or socks on... no time for formalities. (after all I shot the first one in my sock feet). I slowly creaped down the steps of the back porch eyes fixed on the last place I saw the fox. I began to scan the area directly around the coup thinking he'd pop out from the opposite side of the coup and then POP would go the gun. I crept forward slowly on the gravel drive (after all I'm in bare feet). No sign of the fox... bummer. I continued to creep and got about the middle of the driveway when I noticed some movement in the weeds just in front of the rooster pen. And then low and behold the fox trotted towards me out of the paddock beneither the fense. As soon as he cleared the weeds and in the open I was going to shoot. I aimed quick, pulled the trigger and....and.........yes once again the sound of a small nuclear explosion went off, this time at 7:30am...my neighbors gotta think I'm different. When the gun went off the horses went flying out of the barn with their tails on fire and I don't think they've still ventured back up. Apparently they're a little gun shy. Anyway, with that shot down went fox #2! I don't think my aim was as true with the second fox, I was standing and moving slightly, as the fox didn't drop quite like the first one. But he did drop quick! So I walked up to check him out and boy was I excited again... as I stood there in the grass checking him out I slowly started to realize my feet were quite wet...and not only wet but felt similar to ice cubes. Sock feet, bare feet...you might be a redneck if you typically shoot a shotgun without shoes on. I turned around and looked back to the house and could see Jacob looking out the picture window, I rasied my arms in victory and he did like wise. For some reason Adam was now awake as well... nothing like a small nuclear bomb going off outside your window to wake you up. Ya gotta love those 3 1/2 inch Magnum shells! Anyway, the chickens and egg business are safe once again. At least lets hope this was the last one. Both foxes were boys.... seems like there's a chance for a momma fox as well. We'll keep our eyes pealed. And maybe our shoes on...

The pictures below are after I went inside and got a sweatshirt, shoes and socks on.
I'm reminded of Dr. Seuss,
One Fox,
Two Fox
Red Fox
Dead Fox.