Sly as a Fox!

 Crafty & sly best describe the Red Fox, which is the fox species we're most acquainted with in North America. Born with a very shy & tentative nature, kits, as baby foxes are called, need to be rigorously trained by their parents in what is or isn't dangerous.  Females, or vixen, give birth to 2-12 kits in the spring & procede to train them in the "Tricks of the Trade". These "Tricks"  will help them to survive up to twelve years in the wild.

Does the song"Ewe ain't Nothing but a Hound Dog,Crying all the Time" ring a bell?

The first trick they must learn is to become thoroughly acquainted with the two to five mile terrain that they live in. Kits must know every minute detail, every body of water, & every potential hiding spot that will enhance their chances of losing their pursuer! The Red Fox's  ability to move at speeds of up to 26 mph will assist it in evading a much slower pack of dogs. Ewe might say that  it relishes the chase,especially on its own familiar turf !



I absolutely love "out-foxing" hounds! Have ewe seen "The Fox & the Hound"?

The Red Fox is extremely resourceful, using its natural intelligence, cunning, experience, & a bagful of additional "Tricks", to outwit a pack of hounds with relative ease! First, it keeps a safe distance & moves in a circular two to three mile track ,observing the pack from a distance while refreshing iself. Next, it will use an "oldie,but a goodie", as it wades in shallow water to lose the scent & quickly leaps high onto the bank,undetected! Third, it will run through a cow pasture helping to mix its scent with the cow & its manure,thus confusing their trail. Finally, in winter ,the light-footed  fox will cleverly lure the heavier hounds onto thin ice & smugly watch them fall in !

What can I say,Foxes Rule & Dogs Drool!

 Shepherds, just as foxes, must  learn to be resourceful, especially in caring for their sheep! The flock is clueless about diet, boundaries, & safety without the Shepherd guiding them. A resourceful Shepherd must address these basic needs in order for the sheep to not only survive, but also thrive!

Ewe certainly consume resources quickly .Ewe must be teenagers!

 As Ewe enjoy the Fall weather, consider the resources at the disposal of the Good Shepherd.Whatever Ewe-r need may be physically, spiritually, or emotionally, it's no match for Ewe-r capable Shepherd!


"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." Ps. 23:1