DrewMyler.com

The Urban Jungle

Jul 18, 2007

FoxI returned from an early morning bike ride last week to see a fox trot calmly through the back alley.

I braked hard. A fox? In the 4000 north block of Chicago? I stared closely to make sure I wasn’t being fooled by someone’s dog. Thin face, lean body, reddish fur, bushy tail… definitely a fox.

I’d started having doubts about the sighting until this morning, when I saw the fox pass quietly through my neighbor’s yard, a dead squirrel hanging from his mouth.

Unless the fox is my power animal appearing to me during cycling-induced hallucinations, it might be time to call animal control. This guy’s just trying to survive, but there are kids on this block, not to mention small dogs and (gasp) cats.

The fox was only the first oddity to surface after I started training for the Fleet Feet Sports Super Sprint Triathlon. A few days ago I raced a thunderstorm to the local outdoor pool for lap swim, arriving at the empty pool just as the rain began to fall. Fortunately only lightning could prevent me from getting in a swim – or so I thought.

“No lap swim today,” one of the lifeguards called out to me from the other side of the pool gate. “Someone pooped in the pool.”

Oh, city living.

  • Say it ain't so... You must be day-to-day right now, Weeks; I'm observing a moment of silence for Betsy and her water-logged trunk. She was the best dang ambulance ride I've ever had. You stay classy, Betsy.
  • Weeks
    Now, let's not get carried away Drew... Maybe it's your readers making the site classy... Oh, and how about you don't go investigating whether or not the fox is in your backyard, whereby you step on a rusty nail and need a tetanus shot again - it'd be tough to make the drive from Boston to Chicago to take you to the ER... Especially considering how Betsy has gone to that great charity car auction in the sky
  • Maybe the deer have started infringing upon continuing education courses.

    Glad you like the design! It's classy because I'm classy.
  • Mom
    Wild animals have been moving into "civilized" areas for many years now, as humans have developed so much of the natural habitat. Obviiously we get fox, deer and other creatures out here in the boonies, but deer have been taking over suburbia in St. Louis for years. Driving into the city, we see quite a few "Deer Crossing" signs. I just wonder how the deer can read those signs and know where to cross.

    By the way, I like the new design. Very classy.
  • The fact that we're not close to any un-urbanified areas is really throwing me for a loop. Maybe he just prefers the city life, where the squirrels are fat and lazy from browsing through garbage cans all day.

    Thanks! I found the live comments preview plugin on the Wordpress plugin repository; I'm pretty sure this is it. I see you're using Wordpress as well - it could very easily be yours...
  • Wow. I've seen foxes on campus where I work at a community college in the middle of Rockford, but that's a little more believable since they have a bit of open land and woods to roam in, and they're only a few miles away from Rock Cut State Park.

    More oddly, I saw a deer just grazing on some grass on a large boulevard in the middle of traffic by Woodfield Mall. Now that was weird.

    By the way, I love your comment preview.
  • 1. Maybe foxes will become the chic new accessory. We'll see Paris Hilton walking around with a fox peeking out of her purse. 2. Thanks! 3. I'm hoping to swim today, but I'm considering SCUBA gear at this point.
  • Nicola
    1. Used to see foxes all the time in London, too - one used to sleep under the tree by our apartment. 2. Thumbs up on the new design. 3. Public pools - they really lose their allure once you enter your twenties (and beyond). I mean you just can't trust those little people to keep 'it' to themselves.
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