Sly Fox

Dear Mom,

Our cat Smeagol was chattering at the door peering out of the window so I looked out. There was a fox. He walked around the upper pond and I thought he was trying to find a place to get a drink. He stared right at me, just like the deer, while I held up the camera to take a picture. Then he got pretty close and before I could catch a better shot of him, he leaped across the water to the little island. I saw that he had something in his mouth as he leaped back across and ran into the woods. All in about three seconds. It dawned on me that the mallard ducks had their eggs on that island and that’s what the fox was hoping to—and did—get. I felt bad that I didn’t stop the fox, but I had no idea that’s what he was getting ready to do. A little bit later, I heard Smeagol again and I looked. There’s Mr. Fox prowling around the pond. I tapped on the window and he darted off. When Norm got home I took him outside to show him the eggs and I rattled on about the fox. But no eggs in sight. That sly fox did what he knows best. Survival of the fittest in nature.

Remember when you let Ruthie bring in the baby bunnies to take care of them? There’s a cute picture of her somewhere holding the bunnies under her shirt.

Here's the sly fox:
Here he is before the leap: Here's where he had to jump to the island: Here's the island and right behind the turtle's backside is the egg: