On Guard

Now when I give the ringails a hot dog, even if they can't eat the second one yet, they sleep on it, lightly, knowing it's only a matter of time before a raccoon climbs up the pole to try and steal it. The ringtails have moved to the west end of the front porch. Earlier this year I had eleven gray foxes. Since the mountain lion was here I'd never seen more than eight. But last night I walked outside with an eight pack of hot dogs and eight gray foxes were sitting patiently in the parking lot waiting for theirs. As soon as I threw one to each of them three more ran down the hill and sat in front of the stairs. Still have eleven.