The Fox Hunt

Tonight I headed to Hains Point looking for foxes. There are two colors when you run on Hains Point at night after a snow fall; black and white. The road wasn't plowed but traction was good. To my left I spied a red fox. I dropped into a sprint, but the fox ran a 39 high 400m and left me in the dust, so I continued down the road. The street lights bounced off the packed snow and I could see for miles. Up ahead I saw ANOTHER red fox in the middle of the road. It panicked and ran towards the golf course. I realized there were two other runners baring down on the fox from the opposite direction. I thought they might have been runners I knew, but it was not to be. When I got to the tip of the point, I realized I hadn't actually been to the ALL the way to the tippity tip tip top tip....so I went. I trudged through the ankle deep snow and watched a line of planes flying into Reagan from the south east. The plane lights went on for miles. I headed back on the Potomac side of the point and immediately fell upon ANOTHER red fox. He ran away from me down the middle of the road, but I could not match his 4-legged stride. To my left was ANOTHER red fox. I stood in the road and watched him watch me. I watched him back. And he me. And I him. It went on this way for some time until I realized what I was doing. Bored by now, the fox crouched down and attempted to hide. I continued on my way. By now I was mad; crazed with seeing a 5th red fox. Would this be a PR day? I began to lose hope when suddenly a ANOTHER red fox came bounding in from my left. I shouted out loud "5 red foxeseses". I blinked and then ANOTHER red fox came foxtrotting just behind the other fox. Are you serious, 6 red foxes? Before I could answer, ANOTHER red fox sprinted past. These three must have been playing together.

By the end of the run I had seen a total of 7 foxes, a new PR. This smashes my old PR of 4 red fox...also on Hains Point. I really want to know how many red fox there might be on this small peninsula. I can't imagine there would be many more. I felt very good and got in just shy of 10.