Bradford Lad: The Fog
Mike Coatesworth has an early-morning encounter with a handsome four-legged visitor.
I was my garden early one morning, enveloped by fog, an unusual occurance in the part of Yorkshire where I lives. Because I couldn’t see anything more than six feet away, my hearing seemed to have intensified.
My brother-in-law, John told me recently that although he is blind his other senses seem to be keener, compensating for his lost sight. For a short time I was getting a taste of what he has to put up with.
As I sat facing east, as I usually do to watch the sun rise, there were sycamore and pine trees to my left, home to a variety of feathered friends. I could crows, magpies, wood pigeons, and sparrows. They went quiet when a dog, somewhere in the distance, began to bark. It was probably being taken for a walk on the edge of the moors.
On my right there was a rustling sound in an evergreen hedge. For the last couple of days an animal had been at my bins. There were scratch marks. Ihad glimpsed it from time to time. Now I remained perfectly still, not wanting to frighten it away. I asumed that it was hungry. I held my breath as it came in to the open. It was magnificent, its coat so shiny.
I don’t understand why lots of people don’t like these creatures. There again, I like all animals. Slowly it came towards me, I don’t think it had seen me sitting there. I don’t suppose it expected anyone to be around at that early hour.
The dew glistened on its coat as it cautiously walked across my lawn. I smiled. The fox was now only a few yards away, directly in front of me. But for the fog it might have seen me and not come near.
The fox stopped and turned towards me. Suddenly, to the left, a grey squirrel came rushing along low wall, chattering away. In the same instant it noticed the fox, stopped chattering, chattering, did a back flip and shot off back where it had come from.
I laughed at the squirrel and its antics. The sound of my laughter startled the fox, which had been looking in the direction that the squirrel had gone. The animal was now on full alert, backing away. As soon as it thought it was safe to do so it trotted off.
Now that the predator had gone the birds once again began to sing. The squirrels emerged to do their own version of Al Jolson's Mammy as they headed towards the feeders that I had previously filled for them.
One of the squirrels actually came up to me and placed a nut on my foot! I guess it thought I was hungry and wanted to share its breakfast with me. The animal trusted me. The wildlife around know they have nothing to fear from me.
Another sound behind me. It was Betty bringing me a cuppa.
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