Before Dawn on the Pond, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

I had my regular point and shoot camera at hand this morning looking out the window before dawn  to capture a view of the ice when, out of the side of the pond appeared.....



......... the local red fox walking calmly across the ice looking for breakfast. My heart quickened - I haven't seen him since fall.



I quickly grabbed my older model point and shoot camera with a better zoom reach and was able to get these. Granted, it was through dirty, double-paned glass, before dawn, with a slow shutter speed and high ISO but, still, you get the idea.



It was thrilling for me to behold in real time.

He sat down for a couple minutes to survey his options. Not that I am a fox expert but, he looked pretty healthy to me.



But then, he saw something in the woods and was off in a flash.

Not to be outdone, the resident otter popped up through a remaining hole in the ice to look at the intruder. And it's not even dawn yet! This is sure a great way to begin a day!

Good old New England - one day it's 6 degrees F, a few days later it is 60 degrees F, the ice heaves and cracks like thunder in reaction to the changes. It rains 2 inches, the wind howls, gusting above 50mph and then the next day dawns clear, calm, and cold. It is hard to figure out the winter here.

I just love living where there is still a touch of nature to make me appreciate what an incredible world we live in and how fortunate I am to be alive in it with a roof over my head, clothes on my back, and food on the table.