Unexpected Neighbors

Our house was built on what used to be an abandoned parking lot. Most traces of it are long gone, but one fairly large slab of concrete remains, angled into the hillside in our backyard.

Over the years, that little spot has attracted a few wild residents.

Our longest-standing tenant was a groundhog we affectionately named Wilowmena. We have a habit of naming the wildlife that decides to stick around.

A couple of foxes have shown interest in the property, too, though none have stayed very long.

But this morning, it looked as though someone was giving the place another try.

Our dog was the first to notice.

When I went to see what had caught her attention, a fox was outside, hard at work digging beneath the concrete slab.

Fox digging under an old concrete slab in our backyard.

We stood together at the kitchen window, completely fascinated.

Then, just as we watched him dig, another fox popped out!

You can see them here in the video I captured.

I hadn't realized there were two of them. The second fox was smaller, and I wondered if perhaps I was watching a pair getting their den ready.

Suddenly, our old parking lot looked a lot more like a promising piece of real estate.

I don’t know whether they’ll decide to stay, but it will be fun to watch them come and go through our kitchen window while they’re here. If they’re still around in a few weeks, I might have to start thinking about names.