Hinterland: Who's Who

The Fox
The fox has been called bold, cunning and deceitful. In fact, the fox is shy, secretive, and nervous by disposition, but he appears to be highly intelligent. The fox has excellent eyesight, a keen sense of smell and acute hearing which helps him greatly when hunting.

The slight movement of an ear may be all he needs to locate a hidden rodent. Sometimes he waits patiently for the sound of a rodent moving along its path in grass or snow and then pounces.

The fox’s den is often an abandoned woodchuck burrow, but it may be a hollow log, a patch of dense bush, or a customized excavation under a barn or other structure. Stream banks, hedge rows and forest edges are favored locations. Dens are kept insulated and often will have more than one entrance to permit fast escape from danger.

Fast Fox [a poem by Frank Trainor]

How do you do...Fast Fox is my name
My incursions are swift and direct
I'm efficient and stealthy with instincts so true
Even jungle cats give me respect

Fast Fox is the name...consider my game
These woods are my natural home
My den's in the holler up beyond Poison Creek
Where the rattlesnakes tend to their young

I'm a scavenger...I do what I have to do
When the scent of a rodent drifts up from the scum
My hunger gnaws deep for the blood from its meat
Til I've captured and eaten me some

With surprise my advantage… my jaw as a snare
My tail "white" waves in the sun
I've never seen famine that didn't bring feast
On the heels of a "do or die" run

I snag my prey quickly...then head for my den
To avoid running into a gun
The grandstand play might be your pleasure and sport
Eating "Kill" is my way to have fun

Fast Fox is my name...I'm wily and smart
My head don't adorn many trophies or plaques
You won't see my coat on no fireplace floor
I'm a master at shuffling my tracks

Badgers and wolverines study my ways
I give every dog a good chase
I never grow tired of my circular path
That competitors think is a race

Fast Fox is my moniker...or just call me chump
But you'll find me wherever you hide
At the end of a hollow log or up on a stump
It really don't matter that much to my pride

So how do you do...I've been waiting for you
I can tell you're a "hunter" by trade
Sure, I'm easy prey...go ahead...fire away
I'm already digesting you here in the shade

Fast Fox is my handle...I must thank you again
For the spirit and heart of your game
You'll be well remembered for stalking my lair
But survival is my claim to fame

FAST FOX Copyright 2006 FrankTrainor

Speaking of Foxes: Our regular Talking Points and Spotlight features combine at FRANKtalk this week in honor of the hottest conservative pundit on the planet right now. Ann Coulter, whose latest book "Godless: The Church Of Liberalism" debuts this very week at #1 on The New York Times Best Seller List, is an American publishing phenomenon and a vixen. A regular guest on Fox network programs such as Hannity & Colmes, Ann's been a personal favorite for years. Check out Ann's website at my Scribes & Illuminators sidebar. In the meantime, here's a couple of current spotlight links regarding Ann Coulter to get you in the right conservative spirit.

Coulter Delivers Knockout

News & Commentary: by Ann Coulter