The Day Blondie Turned Into A Fox!

I’ll never forget the day Blondie shape-shifted into a Fox! It was a warm, late Spring morning in 2019, and we were out for our weekend hike in the woods at our country property. A brisk walk is always helpful in order to outrun those pesky no-see-ums. Spring in Southwestern Ontario, Canada can be a bugger for insect bites. Blondie couldn’t care less! This is her mecca! Her own one hundred acres to roam leash-free as she pleases. A privilege that living in the city does not afford. At nine years old she seems to go much slower on city walks but, in the country, she bounces and spins with a big toothy grin everywhere she goes. Her inner puppy shines!

This particular day was no different! My husband Andrew, and I followed close behind as Blondie zigzagged her way through the woods. She darted off down a deer trail and we decided to follow her lead. The three of us made our way down a gradual but lengthy hill to swampland below. The swamp is a good size with rows of thick bush, small trees and moss-covered earth patches. At this point, we signaled to Blondie to wait and not go any further. An obedient girl, she almost always listens and waits. That day, her zest for adventure and uncontrollable zoomies took over! We watched in mild disbelief as she shot ahead at full throttle into the thick swamp bush. We could hear the ‘swish swash’ of her body darting through the trees and then, silence.

We stood still for a few moments expecting Blondie to ‘swish swash’ her way back to us but...nothing. Several minutes had gone by as we whistled and listened; called her name and listened. Where on earth could she have gone!? Not even a bark or a yelp indicated where she might be. It was as though the swamp had opened up and swallowed her whole! We decide to walk gingerly toward the swamp edge to get a closer look. Suddenly, we heard a snap of a branch and a distant swish of foliage farther back. Relieved, we concluded it must be Blondie working her way out. We called out to her to come closer. Off in the distance, around ten yards away we saw a critter gradually exiting. I squinted my eyes to get a sharper look at who I expected to be Blondie.

‘Hold on!”, I said to Andrew, “I don’t think that’s Blondie! It looks like a fox!”

“What!?”, Andrew exclaimed.

With crinkled noses and squinting eyes, we both tried to make out the identity of this animal.

“Geez, I think it might be a fox!”, Andrew said.

We stayed still for a few moments and saw that the ‘fox’ was moving our way! Not only was it getting closer but the size of it was getting larger! We watched with a good amount of confusion as it trotted its way closer toward us. It suddenly dawned on both Andrew and I that this was no fox! It was Blondie, dressed in mud from belly to toes, looking very fox like, especially from a distance! We both laughed hysterically at the silliness of it all and relieved that we found her. She looked up at us, tongue out one side of her mouth and head tilted as if to say, “what’s so funny”?

A fond memory Andrew and I will always cherish, and I know Blondie enjoyed too!

A letter to my Blondie girl who passed away peacefully on January 18, 2022, of natural causes. You are greatly missed but what fun we had and what a wonderful privilege to be your mom.

Oh, Blondie girl!

What a magnificent Beast you are! Dog perfection! I am bias, its true! However, many a stranger on a walk would often agree! I believe you know your beauty too, but maybe not in quite the same way as the humans.

A gentle heart, soft to the touch and certainly, a soft touch. Whimsical locks that shimmer to-and-fro in the mid-day sun. You are indeed one-of-a-kind!

‘Quite feminine’, some say, but those of us who know you well, can see the Tom Dog in the waiting. You like a good tussle with your select canine companions and your Mum too. You love a good hard bone chew to fend off those cavities. Dig the occasional hole in a bare patch or seek out a tasty feline poo snack, when you can find it.

As your Mum, I’m sorry to say you’re not a big fan of little dogs. I agree, they are on the yappy side, but that’s what little dogs do! I love that you only bark, when necessary, but you’ll belt out a big, ‘YELLOOOWWW’ when you see a friendly face. Or a low “RAWR, RAWR” rumble as an alternative ‘HELLO’ greeting. The latter being confused by some for a growl. Whoops!

Oh, and those deep brown Egyptian eyes had me at ‘HELLO’!! Crossed paws, neck hugs and tear licks are my favorite heart-warming moments. So many moments! Beautiful inside-and-out, you are! Very few humans can match the unique bond we share.

Love,

Your Mom Forever.

We recently planted a Tulip tree and included Blondie's ashes in her memory.

Her beautiful tree sits on top of a hill with 360-degree views of the country property that Blondie loved so much!