Bridget Bryan

On January 15, 2021 we had mild blizzard-like conditions. School had not been called off, and the morning schedule continued uninterrupted.

The atmosphere outside was very blustery and snowy and it was a pleasure to gaze outside from a warm cozy interior.

That’s just what I was doing, as I was about to grade some papers in my cheery, quiet room in Loyola.

Something had prompted me to look out over the wintry view just before I sat down to grade.

Down through the cedar trees, at the bottom of Loyola’s steps, I saw a fox running east towards the golf course!

Now, I had just seen that fox last night over on Gideon’s way: I knew him by his taller form and his slender smoky-colored legs and long fluffy tail. He was a delightful sight, his orange form dashing through the slanting snow. And then I saw why he was running.

About twenty feet or more behind him, sprinted a pursuer, and behind him, double that distance, was a pack of boys. They looked to me to be ninth or tenth graders, bounding through the snow like a pack of young wolves.

The sight made me chuckle and tucking that image into my mind to paint later, I settled at my desk, grading to the tunes of soft Christmas music.

About twenty or thirty minutes later I heard some shouting and arose to look back out the window.

This time I saw another boy running from the west, as though chasing after the other boys.

Someone met him halfway, and they talked hurriedly; the newcomer looked as though he was gesturing for the boys to come back to class.

Even from that distance I recognized the profile and body language of my brother, Norris!

Norris ran back towards Jogues, and he quickly vanished into the windy snow. Moments later he was followed by the remainder of the Tenth Grade Pack – I recognized their good ol’ profiles then.

Just as they vanished, their silhouettes fading to blue in the swirling bitter whiteness, I noticed something trailing them: the fox followed close behind his former pursuants!

The same smart orange form trotted deliberately in their wake. If only one of the boys had looked back and caught site of who trailed so slyly and boldly behind them! What I would have given to see that reaction from my Loyola perch!

As the fox got closer to Our Lady’s Circle, he travelled uphill and vanished in the undergrowth at the foot of Loyola and Bellarmine.

For that scene, I was most grateful to be at school that day, and it made for good conversation with the boys during our lunch break.

You never know what you might see out your window.

Thanks so much for reading! Please share with others who might enjoy the story.

#Strathmore #Canson #WindsorAndNewton #Winter #Foxes #WhatDoesTheFoxSay #WhoLetTheFoxOut #Students #School #Midwest #MidwestPainting #MidwestLiving #Watercolor #WatercolorPainting #UrbanSketcher #UrbanSketching #WatercolorJournaling #Fabriano #Outdoors #WinterScenes#Kansas #KansasArtist #St.Mary’sKansas #CatholicSchool #TeacherMoments