Okay, I will admit that I'm jealous. Seeing Gray Fox kits playing in your yard is a pretty wonderful experience. I'll let Carolyn Andre tell the tale. "Barry and I have had the most incredible last several days with a young family of foxes. It's thrilling. And exhausting."

"It started late Saturday night [several weeks ago.] Three kits, and what we assume to be their Mom, were running their little butts from one end of the courtyard to the other, jumping on and off of things as they went. They were knocking into chairs, and each other, as they jumped from chair to chair. it was so much fun to watch."

"They repeated the same behavior on Sunday morning. I came out to find my shell collection scattered across the deck and ground. Three flower pots were upended, lying on their side. And they moved a saucer from under a pot to where it sits below. Two of the three kits are carousing below. Like cats, they keep chewing on a pillow and then shake it back and forth in their mouth, as if it were prey. They've tried the large cushions too, but as you can see, the cushions are too big for them so they tire easily. But one of them keeps trying to kill that cushion. Standing on it makes it harder to shake, however."

"Aren't they supposed to be asleep on Sunday morning? I know they had a busy night. I signaled Barry to come look and he pointed out that one of their parents sat on top of our fence or at the table outside the courtyard watching the kits."

"The kits run and jump both day and night. They come back around 8 - 9 pm, run around while their Mom watches. And then again very late - 11 pm to midnight, and somewhere between 4 to 4 am. I can't figure out when they're sleeping. I know I'm not!"

"I never knew what great tree climbers they are. They're like cats. They jump from the fence into the tree and then up while the siblings chase behind and reach for each other's tails to pull or bite. Up the tree, down the tree, back around the courtyard. I think their Mom wants them to run themselves until exhausted."

"I really do know how lucky we are. I had not idea how much they are just like kittens and puppies." I told Carolyn about Gray Foxes stealing a single shoe to give to the kits for playing. Carolyn wrote, "I don't have any shoes out there but I do have gardening gloves. I found one torn up yesterday and the other has disappeared."

Ah, but they grow up so fast. Carolyn and Barry had quite a floorshow for a while. Maybe they will be lucky again next year.

Thanks to Carolyn for the cute story and for allowing me to share her photos with you here.