Comments on: The night visitor https://habitablezone.com/2019/08/28/the-night-visitor/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:18:10 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: DanS https://habitablezone.com/2019/08/28/the-night-visitor/#comment-43551 DanS Fri, 30 Aug 2019 18:31:07 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=78072#comment-43551 Where we lived, there was a drainage ditch, generally ankle-deep and free-flowing, with a few minnows – and a family of raccoons. One Friday evening, summer, watching the late show in the living room, I heard a soft commotion from the kitchen. The lights were still off, so it wasn’t any of the boys. I have three sons and they would have been just hitting their teens then. I stepped into the kitchen doorway a flicked on the light. Three hairy little faced looked at me, each appearing impressively embarrassed. I stepped back and motioned to the sliding patio door that I had left open for a breeze. They took their time, but eventually left together. I laughed, closing and latching the door. I put a chain fastener on the sliding door after that, so it could be opened a few inches for evening breezes. Where we lived, there was a drainage ditch, generally ankle-deep and free-flowing, with a few minnows – and a family of raccoons. One Friday evening, summer, watching the late show in the living room, I heard a soft commotion from the kitchen. The lights were still off, so it wasn’t any of the boys. I have three sons and they would have been just hitting their teens then.

I stepped into the kitchen doorway a flicked on the light. Three hairy little faced looked at me, each appearing impressively embarrassed. I stepped back and motioned to the sliding patio door that I had left open for a breeze. They took their time, but eventually left together. I laughed, closing and latching the door.

I put a chain fastener on the sliding door after that, so it could be opened a few inches for evening breezes.

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2019/08/28/the-night-visitor/#comment-43548 podrock Fri, 30 Aug 2019 00:40:12 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=78072#comment-43548 When they ate our fish pond it was especially sparkly. When they ate our fish pond it was especially sparkly.

]]> By: RL https://habitablezone.com/2019/08/28/the-night-visitor/#comment-43547 RL Thu, 29 Aug 2019 22:20:19 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=78072#comment-43547 Deer, raccoons, foxes, groundhogs rabbits and squirrels all add immense joy to our dog's life... Squirrels, she is convinced, are the best toys we ever got her- she has caught a few - usually she just pins them and sudies them until she gets distracted and they run off... I did witness her catch one in mid air as it jumped from the fence to the tree.... she is FAST. It is fun watching her plot against the squirrels, the strategy she uses is actually quite sophisticated. It actually stunned me when I realized just how sophisticated her hunting skills were. She doesn't so much chase them, she runs to the tree they are most likely to run to based on where they are in the yard so she can head them off... she clearly considers things from the squirrel's point of view, making clever use of cover... Foxes, she is not sure what to make of them... cautious interest is her attitude to them, and it seems to be mutual. Raccoons creep the hell out of her- she wants NOTHING to do with them... And deer, well she is certain that its just a matter of time before she takes one down and we all eat like kings (she weighs just 45 lbs.). She has cornered a couple... Deer, raccoons, foxes, groundhogs rabbits and squirrels all add immense joy to our dog’s life…

Squirrels, she is convinced, are the best toys we ever got her- she has caught a few – usually she just pins them and sudies them until she gets distracted and they run off… I did witness her catch one in mid air as it jumped from the fence to the tree…. she is FAST.

It is fun watching her plot against the squirrels, the strategy she uses is actually quite sophisticated. It actually stunned me when I realized just how sophisticated her hunting skills were. She doesn’t so much chase them, she runs to the tree they are most likely to run to based on where they are in the yard so she can head them off… she clearly considers things from the squirrel’s point of view, making clever use of cover…

Foxes, she is not sure what to make of them… cautious interest is her attitude to them, and it seems to be mutual.

Raccoons creep the hell out of her- she wants NOTHING to do with them…

And deer, well she is certain that its just a matter of time before she takes one down and we all eat like kings (she weighs just 45 lbs.). She has cornered a couple…

]]> By: RL https://habitablezone.com/2019/08/28/the-night-visitor/#comment-43546 RL Thu, 29 Aug 2019 22:04:04 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=78072#comment-43546 Why would you be holding that? Why would you be holding that?

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2019/08/28/the-night-visitor/#comment-43545 podrock Thu, 29 Aug 2019 21:26:56 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=78072#comment-43545 That is something to behold! That is something to behold!

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2019/08/28/the-night-visitor/#comment-43543 podrock Thu, 29 Aug 2019 02:24:32 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=78072#comment-43543 Leave dog size scat. They are big coons, at least 25 pounds. Always leave it in the same places. Leave dog size scat. They are big coons, at least 25 pounds. Always leave it in the same places.

]]> By: RL https://habitablezone.com/2019/08/28/the-night-visitor/#comment-43542 RL Thu, 29 Aug 2019 02:10:18 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=78072#comment-43542 Late one night I had the bedroom window open and as I was drifting off I heard one of our dog's squeak toys squeak in the backyard... but the dog was asleep at the foot of the bed- I looked out and there was a fox playing with one of her toy balls- tossing it around and squeaking it... it played just like my dog does... unfortunately they occasionally leave behind a mess to clean up- droppings or the partially consumed carcass of an unlucky bird... They are graceful beautiful creatures, but their cry is bone chilling... I have heard <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jofNR_WkoCE" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">what the fox says</a>, and it is deeply disturbing.... <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jofNR_WkoCE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> Late one night I had the bedroom window open and as I was drifting off I heard one of our dog’s squeak toys squeak in the backyard… but the dog was asleep at the foot of the bed- I looked out and there was a fox playing with one of her toy balls- tossing it around and squeaking it… it played just like my dog does… unfortunately they occasionally leave behind a mess to clean up- droppings or the partially consumed carcass of an unlucky bird…

They are graceful beautiful creatures, but their cry is bone chilling…
I have heard what the fox says, and it is deeply disturbing….

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