Slow painting

Sunday 29 May 2011

Still life or real life


How do you prefer your foxes? As art, or the real thing?

Whoever painted the fox in the picture below has obviously had a real life encounter. I couldn't believe how similar it was to the photo I'd taken a few days earlier at the allotment.




As we arrived at the plot today the fox was trotting up the far side, just a bed's width away. It seemed to be grinning. I felt a bit less well disposed towards it when I discovered a neat little calling card of fox's poo in the grass.

17 comments:

Mark Willis said...

I prefer mine as art. The real ones are too destructive! First thing this morning I saw one on the top of my garden fence, thoroughly confused and being mobbed by a family of Magpies.

Jacqui said...

Well - there are no foxes here, and I am happy about that - as are Elvis and the Girls, I'm sure. But one of the bloggers i follow has just published a lovely book about her encounter with a family of foxes who lived in her garden for a while,
http://valariebudayr.typepad.com/my_weblog/
xx

HappyK said...

I see one along where I walk once in a while. He's a big healthy looking red one. Very pretty.

Mal's Allotment said...

Could be a mirror image!

Our foxes keep down the water voles (Ratty from Tales of the Riverbank). Water voles love root vegetables.

Whenever new soil is dug the foxes dance all over it. You can see their paw prints.

Unknown said...

Hi Linda, He's grinning because he's up to some thinking about what he can get up to today. Good picture you got though.
I see a few around here too- lately there have been a few dead on the road. Maa.

moominmamma said...

Bold fellow, isn't he? I sneaked up on a coyote today while running but we rarely see foxes around here.

Rainy Day Gardener said...

Your photo is an exact match of the painting! Rotten little foxes poo-ing in your allotment. Bummer about all the gales you've been having. I hope things settle down so you can enjoy growing things :)

Oakland Daily Photo said...

Foxes live in the nearby hills and rarely venture down to our more densely populated areas. So I have no experience with them. Are they a nuisance to farmers?

Jo said...

Ahh, I'll take the real one, though I know they can be a nuisance.

Sue Garrett said...

Real ones for me but we don't get them in the garden I've never seen one on the plot but know they do explore on a night. They make holes digging up worms. I guess worms are hard to find this year in the dry soil so they may be a bigger problem than usual.

Andrea said...

Looks quite at home there!foxes a huge problem here especially now its lambing season.Government soon to put bounty on them, $10.00 per tail.Have lost a few chooks to them so not welcome at our house!

... said...

Great photo, Linda!

I prefer them as art. We often hear the sound of foxes from the wood, but very rarely see one.

About the sweet woodruff, I just planted them a week ago, so they are still quite small. There is not much place for them to spread in the small herb bed, so I hope it will work.

Peggy said...

Foxes over here are getting very bold also!I have not seen one in daytime and not around the allotment I am glad to say.I have seen them at night walking quite openly along the roadside, they would nearly stand back to allow the car to pass they are so confident of their surroundings!

Kelli said...

Interesting art work. The fox doesn't look frightened at all, almost looks domestic. Bet he gets up to all sorts of mischief around the plot!

PolkaDotGaloshes said...

I think I prefer mine as art too! Don't know what I would do if I had such an up-close encounter? Also, I am so excited you stopped by my blog, my wisteria are even more joyful now, but alas its to wet to enjoy them! Thanks also for the offer on the wordpress/blogger switch, looking forward to it!
LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog and will be updating my blogroll soon to include it...Hope you are well! Cheers Julia

Corner Gardener Sue said...

I don't know if there are foxes around here, but if there are, they don't come into the city. I think of them as being shy of people, so that photo seems odd to me.

I forgot to say I like the view of your garden through the raspberry plants.

Janet said...

I was thrilled to see a fox crossing the road in Edinburgh late one night last time I visited.
I was not quite so thrilled when our dog rolled in fox poo in a local wood!