Corvids and Canids

Two of my favourite animal groups have afforded me lots of laughs over the last three days. First there was the backyard fox who we watched hanging out for a good ten minutes. The dog needed to go out, so we let her. We wanted to see what the fox would do. The dog went down the steps, entirely oblivious, and started her ritual of rolling in the snow. She can carry this on, with sound effects for several minutes. I kept expecting her to catch the scent of the fox, but she never ever realized he was there. He stood at the far end of the yard, by the cliff edge, watching her. I wish I could have read his expression. Was he puzzled, amused, disdainful of her domesticity? One thing he was not was perturbed.

While driving down Sir John A. the other day, I saw a charcoal coloured toy poodle in a blaze orange winter coat (um, who could mistake him for prey, I ask you, especially downtown...maybe they just liked that colour?) cock first one leg against a snowbank, then the other so that he was standing on his front legs as he let fly with a stream of yellow. Quite a feat...look Ma, no feet!

Today on the way back from my riding lesson I had to look twice to be sure of what I was seeing. It was a crow in the centre of an open field, rolling, just like my dog, in the snow. He'd dig his beak in, slide, turn over, and then sit up and fluff his feathers. Then he'd repeat, as needed.