An Ice Skating Fox

One of very few shots taken today, adding to the big blip fox catalogue I've got. This was probably the most calm moment of the whole day.

Mel spent most of last night in pain after the fracture clinic visit yesterday. I put it down to moving about more than she has been for the visit, and with both of us posting meagre hours of sleep I headed into work after my new morning routine involving seeing to the menagerie, plus making Mel's breakfast and leaving it for her conveniently by the chair in the living room (muesli in a clingfilmed bowl and coffee in a thermos mug thing), together with a glass of fresh water, the television plugged in and put onto standby with the remotes placed for equal convenience, and just generally trying to stay awake and get into a 'goint to work' frame of mind (that last bit never works).

Anyway, I was slightly early this morning and stopped off at Duddingston Loch on another otter hunt after last Saturday's success. Little did I know that the Loch was virtually completely frozen over. I hung about. It was a nice fresh morning, and it was nice to have some time just. doing. nothing. And then I spotted them. Two foxes using the ice as a nice new highway between previously unreachable islands. This was the dog fox, confidently striding out. His vixen following was less sure, but walking equally far out from the shore.

But like I said, this was the high point, the relaxed point, of the morning. Just after 9, having got to work in good time and good changed, and about to have my own thermos mug of coffee, my phone rings. Mel is in tears. In pain. And the note from the fracture clinic says any pain in the toes and go straight to A&E. Cue taxi; then drive to A&E. 'Oh go straight through to the fracture clinic and ask for Jake' says the receptionist.

A wander and 15 minutes later and we're leaving again. Turns out the cast was a bit tight round the toes, and with all the movement yesterday the foot had (expectedly) swelled. Effectively her toes were being crushed. End of the cast is trimmed, problem solved. I'm back at my desk by 10.30 (this time with the car parked near work, lobbing the bike onto the roof at the end of the day).

Would be nice if things could calm down for the weekend, but tomorrow is full-on. Visit from the plumber; visit from friends; visit from my brother and then the Black Keys concert with him, which I'd forgotten about. Well. I can only hope Sunday will be less 'interesting'.

Sleep. I need sleep.

Previously blipped foxes (much closer and clearer).... I wonder if this year I can get a shot of a cub....?

You scratch my back...
This Ear Fox
Snowy Fox
At the back door
Vixen of Fox Green
Vixen on Blue
Scrawny/Mangey
Stare