Crabtree Falls

Friday, May 10, 2013

Life Forms Emerge


We see numerous wild turkeys in Asheville - in neighborhoods, lower elevations, higher altitudes, all over really.  And last year, I saw the most beautiful red fox.  Foxes are not as easy to detect - in part, because they are very suspicious of people.   They're wild, in every sense.  They are highly clever and cunning - a Machiavelli of the Canidae family.  They are very nifty and fast which, combined with their intelligence, makes them incredible hunters.  They sneak, they hide, they dart here and there.  And they seem to appear out of nowhere.  If you see one in the wild, you're lucky.  The only time they are aggressive really to humans is when they are cornered (rare obviously) and when they are rabid.  If you notice one coming a bit too close or showing no fear of you, it most likely has rabies.  So be careful!  Yesterday, in a beautiful area in North Asheville, we spotted some turkeys and a fox and lots of other critters seemingly very happy, as I was, that the sun was out.  The fox, at least compared to the one I saw last year, seemed a little too comfortable standing out in the open - at first, anyway.  And as we got close, it appeared to be very thin and dirty.   Made me wonder about its health.  Caused me to think about the backyards it's running through, and the kids and pets that are in those yards!

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