It all began with a scream in the night. Not just any scream, but a hoarse bark that sounded like a dog in distress. Not recognizing the voice, Chuck Billy rolled over and went back to bed. However, I was worried that a friend was in trouble, and ran to the window to peer out into the darkness. The cry sounded closer. Mom, awoken by the sound, came downstairs to check on us. She then grabbed a flashlight and headed outside concerned it was one of the neighbor’s pups in trouble in our yard. After flashing the light, and calling out, “here puppy,” there was no response. Complete silence. The neighborhood houses were all in pitch darkness. Mom assumed the missing pup was found, and returned to bed. Hours later, we were all awoken again by the hoarse, distressing scream in the night. Even Dad heard it this time. But who was it?

The next morning I turned to Chuck Billy’s favorite source for all the answers, Google. That was no pup in distress, that was a Vixen on the edge of a broken heart! According my research, that blood curdling scream was a female fox, known as a vixen, looking for her mate, because she didn’t “need another lonely night!” After hearing it, I can understand why her partner was hiding, and wanted to say “goodbye.” However, foxes mate for life, so she was not about to let this guy off the hook. Despite her threats of “I’ll find someone else, who’s nothing like you,” foxes pair for life, but only live together during breeding season. Afterwards, he is free to roam, while she cares for the pups.

Hopefully, our Vixen has found her mate, and tonight will be a lot quieter. However, as we all know, “love is strange,” “but the truth remains,” that she’s “been living on the edge of a broken heart.” Ok, I admit, I may have used lyrics by the ’80s band Vixen to help explain what happened last night. Our Vixen really should take singing lessons from them, and maybe her mate wouldn’t be hiding!