We had another fox sighting earlier this week.

I bolted out of the house and leapt off the porch to chase after it, then realized the fox didn’t seem to be interested in our chickens. (At least, not in that moment.) All our girls were safe next to the house. But it had its beady eyes fixed on something else…

And it was perilously close to New Chuck City.

I chased the fox away, but what followed were a few days of…let’s call it mild concern for the welfare of our fat little marmot.

Yes, I know I’ve alluded to a blood feud between us. But as it turns out Chuck has been staying out of our garden, and I, in return, consistently make a bunch of racket to keep predators away from his thriving compound.

Perhaps more than anything I just didn’t want to see him become ground Chuck for that bastard fox.

So began multiple rounds of daily wellness Chuck checks and, for a while, the little guy was nowhere to be found. I may also have spent more time than would be considered “seemly” staring out the window, scanning the tree line for him.

Then, earlier this week, Jen spotted him as she was bringing in the groceries.

“I saw Chuck. He’s fine. He ran under the shed when we came home. You can stop morosely staring out the window now.”

Relieved that he’d not become fox Chucklets, I decided I’d try to get some footage of Ol’ Chucky, for posterity. So I rummaged around until I found our old wildlife/trail cam, added the requisite batteries (quite easily!), then set it up outside the west-side turnpike to Chuck’s subterranean megalopolis.

And it wasn’t long before he spotted it…

…and began expertly installing the prototype exterior monitoring/security system into his existing infrastructure.

Complete, it was time for a sensible snack at the food court salad bar and a well-deserved nap.

Glad you’re still with us, Chuck.

Stay out of the garden.

j.s.