The call came at 0920.

One of the churches in town has a fox in their parking lot. And it won't leave. Dispatcher advises one warden is out of town, the other still on annual leave. She doesn't actually say the words, but can I help her out?

Sure. I don't mention that I'm technically on leave today, too.

They don't say whether it's a red fox or a kit fox. Red foxes are pretty, but also not uncommon here.

With their out-sized ears, the kit fox is considerably cuter. And considerably rarer. It will almost certainly be a red fox (and it was), but I was rooting for a kit fox as I jumped the pickup truck battery (left the cell phone on again) and loaded the heeler sisters.

The church is one of the last buildings on the west side of town, with open greasewood fields on three sides. Parking lot on the east and south sides.

Lots of vehicles on the east side. Surprising for a Tuesday.

Only thing on the south side was a little reddish orange canid, laying down on the sidewalk with its thick, fluffy tail wrapped around itself.

A red fox.

Parked about four spaces down from the fox, and it just lay there watching. The tail was unwrapped now, and the pointed ears up. Didn't stand up until I got out of the truck.

Didn't move until I was two parking spaces away. And then it only took a couple steps into the lot. But that movement was all it needed to do to get the heeler sisters' attention. I heard their muffled barks behind me, and knew they were at that moment trying to paw their way through the glass.

Fox heard them too, and trotted off into the parking lot, towards one field of greasewood. Looked normal, all systems functioning properly.

There were trails in the snow to where the fox had been laying. A quick look found that the fox had excavated the snow from a culvert draining under the asphault, and had set itself up as home.

A good, dry den out of the wind, lots of rabbits in three directions, with garbage cans in the fourth, a warm concrete slab to sleep on (and under), and no way anyone could sneak up on you.

What fox wouldn't want to live here?

Went in to the church. Found a half dozen women busy in the kitchen and nave. Not sure what they were all doing, but suspect they were preparing for either a holiday celebration, or tomorrow's funeral of a friend.

They didn't call about the fox.

Suggest I talk to the pre-school teacher.

Her first question: "Did you get it?"

Get it? No, why? It's not a problem for us. Is it a problem for you folks?

No. She just thought the behavior was unusual, took it for granted that something was wrong with the animal and that we would haul it away.

Guess she wasn't listening to the radio last week. I wasn't either, but the wife was. Tina was doing her weekly radio show when she suddenly blurted out "Oh, look, there's a fox!"

It was trotting down mainstreet. It turned into the JB's restaurant parking lot, where the announcer joked that it was going for breakfast (probably not far from the truth... bet restaurants produce really good fox food garbage).

The radio station and JB's are two blocks from the church in question. So, this fox has been here a while. And looked to be settling in. Traffic at tomorrow's funeral may change it's high opinion of this neighborhood.

But no, I'm not going to haul it away. But I advised her not to let any small animals, like kittens or puppies, out in the church yard.

The other good news of the day?

Game warden who just got back to town is more than willing, and even eager, to do the helicopter flying for the deer classifications.

Yeeeee-hawww!