Wild Kingdom.

Every time we have a wildlife adventure on this property, I think of that old television show called "Wild Kingdom." One of these days, I expect to see Marlin Perkins standing over by our barn with his arms folded and ready to chastise us for not being able to live and let live.

Actually, we do let the wildlife live..... we're not shooting these night-time creatures, but we are setting up those catch & release cages so we can relocate what gets into the trap. We. I'm saying 'we' but this is really my husband's adventure. I just stand on the side-lines and watch everything unfold. (This doesn't count the cute little squirrel that I let back out into our yard last week, of course..... every day, there's a squirrel all stretched out in the sun on our gazebo, and I'm sure it's the same squirrel that I set free.)

Yesterday morning, there was a fox in the largest of the three catch & release cages in our yard. At first, I thought it was a raccoon because it was shaking the cage so much. But when it got a little brighter outside, I could easily see that the cage held a very pretty fox. Pretty, yes. Deadly to the chickens, definitely. My husband and J drove the entire cage over to the lake in the next town, then released the fox into the woods. Lakeside living... the fox should be pleased.

The lady at the Wildlife Management Office wasn't too pleased....... she didn't think we should be catching and releasing anything at all..... we're in their territory... it's we the people who have to adjust, not the animals who need to be relocated. I can see her point, up to a point. That fox could have had babies off in the woods here..... and now she's been taken to the next town. What would happen to the babies? By catching and relocating, we're disrupting the routine of the animals. But if we don't catch and relocate some of the wildlife, I won't have any chickens left, like S across the road, who has lost more than 40 chickens over the past year.

This morning, the traps were empty. If another fox did come by in the middle of the night, he/she was smart enough to stay away from the peanut butter inside the cage. I'm always surprised when I don't see Gatsby staring out from inside one of those traps..... that cat will eat anything that doesn't eat him first. I'm guessing he's too yard-smart to get into one of those traps. And I'm also guessing that for every critter that we trap and relocate, there's a dozen more out there walking around our property once the sun goes down.

There were four quail in the side yard this morning..... they were being very still and quiet in the grass because the black crows were screaming and screeching. When the crows get to screaming, my husband goes outside with an air horn... the sound of the air horn will shoo away the crows, but it also makes the parakeets screech and the chickens cackle. And that air horn is more annoying to me than the sounds of the crows.

Speaking of wild...... I have to decide what to wear for our Halloween party this weekend. Minnie Mouse? All black, with red/white polka dot accessories, my Disney Minnie-Ears, red heels, and Mickey and Minnie jewelry............ Or my City Witch outfit? All black again, black heels, my black velvet witch hat with the beautiful purple-feathered brim.... a purple sequined shawl....... and all the rhinestone jewelry that one City Witch can possibly wear at one time....... I will have to try on both outfits tomorrow night and then decide. I don't want any last-minute costume decisions on Saturday because I'll have enough last-minute things to worry about.

Speaking of costumes...... I was in the thrift shop one day last week and saw a bright yellow prom dress, just covered with sparkling beads.... it had "Gypsy Prom" or "Gypsy Tea Party" written all over it. I didn't try it on...... I was too busy finding things for the antique shop and by the time I was ready to leave, I had two baskets filled up with antique goodies, and I wasn't in the mood to try on that prom dress. One of these days.... we have just got to have a Gypsy Prom or a Gypsy Tea.