Living in the city doesn't necessarily mean you can't enjoy the outdoors.  I live less than a mile from any one of several strip malls, but just on the edge of the housing additions.  To the west, malls.  Toward the east, farmland, pastures and open space.

I decided to go for a walk this morning.  It was about 6am so now was a good time to get up and enjoy a little solitude and squeeze in a little exercise before the morning got too busy.  It was 37 degrees and the sun was just beginning to rise.  Cold and crisp if you're just sitting out on the porch drinking coffee, but perfect for a fast walk.  I could see from the living room window the robins were just starting to get around, gathering material to make nests for the upcoming brood.  I put on a pair of sweats and took off. 

Right from the start I jumped up a cottontail out of the front yard.  That kept me entertained for a while because she would take off running, but then stop again after circling about 10 yards in front of me, thinking she'd gotten away I’d guessed.  Then she'd look up and see me coming and repeat the cycle.  I thought to myself it was a good thing rabbits procreate and have lots of little rabbits.  I'd say they're a little short on learning skills.  Then again, she may have been luring me away from her babies.  Still, I noted that she was covering about 5 times as much ground as I was and didn't seem to be wearing out anytime soon.  Then I remembered that she did this for a living... or rather to live.

I decided to walk up to the park about a half mile away.  Just as I was making my way around a big old cottonwood tree, I saw a couple of squirrels chasing each other around the base of the tree.  I swear those guys can run just as fast in a circle and up and down a tree as they can on the ground in a straight line.  Now that's the kind of energy I'd like to have.  They're kind of like my six year old son... only they don't have superpowers.  Or do they?  I liked to see a human try that.

Made it on around the park and headed back towards the house.  Between the park and the house there's a big vacant lot that's maybe 5 acres or so.  Wide open space with a stand of cottonwoods on one side.  I decided instead of staying on the path I'd make a little detour along the tree line.  It's not actually being in the woods, but it feels a little more like being in the woods. About halfway through I looked up just in time to see a red fox trotting along in front of me about 40 yards.  He was out in the middle of the open field.  He kept looking back at me with this look of surprise.  I thought it was kind of funny because he acted totally shocked to see me.  Here he is living right smack in the middle of the neighborhood and it's like he's saying "What the heck?  Where did you come from???"  It's still chilly enough up here that he's still got his winter coat on and he was beautiful.  A stunning combination of bright orange, snow white and coal black.  He definitely stood out in stark contrast to the still winter browns and drab sage of the barren field.   I wondered then how many changes his ancestors had witnessed in his neighborhood through the years.  But the really amazing thing was how quickly he managed to completely disappear just as quickly as he appeared.  I looked away to make my way around some brush.  Couldn't have been more than 10 seconds, but when I looked up again where he had previously been standing, he was gone.  Ironically I thought "What the heck?  Where did he go?" 

Then it dawned on me.... that's how he manages to live a life wild and free among his fellow predators.  After all... I'm just out for a walk.  He does this for a living... so to speak.