During the heavy rain this morning I was sitting in one of our comfortable chairs in our Three-Seasons Room watching the world go by. The rain was pelting on the roof in a steady rhythm. It was a monsoon type rain that reminded me of a similar situation back when Rosalie and I first moved into our new home.
It was a Saturday afternoon, September, 2000, Rosalie and I were sitting in matching comfortable rocking chairs and looking over our newly seeded lawn and in the background the thick bushes and trees. It was raining, similar to the rain we had today. At times it was monsoon like and one could barely see through the heavy windblown rain. I was having a Manhattan and indulging in a handful of cashews. Yes, I remember it that vividly. Rosalie and I were just chatting as we usually did late afternoons before dinner. All of a sudden Rosalie’s eyes got big and round and her mouth was wide open. She was looking past me and to my right.
Out of the thick brush came a water soaked grey fox. If looks could kill, that fox would’ve dropped us without any hesitation. I remember the look in his eyes and I could probably paraphrase what he was thinking. I’m sure his thoughts were: What the hell are you two looking at? There you are, in a dry, comfortable room with a drink in your hand. Here I am soaked through to my bones and looking for a dry place without you gawking at me. He quickly crossed our back yard and slid under my next door neighbors shed and hunkered down for the time being. From that point on, whenever it rained heavily and we were in our favorite room we would remind one another about the water logged fox.
And today, it was Deja Vu, out of the wall of rain came a grey fox giving me the same drop dead look. This time he scampered across the yard and headed into the woods. No stopping this time.
Yes, it brought back the memories of that day in September, 2000.
Ron Penczak 