I saw two unusual things on my way to work today. First, a street (42nd, just north of the Riverview Theater) still lined with old elms. I remember as a child noticing the cathedral ceiling effect seemingly everywhere when we came to visit relatives in the city. Seeing it again-- in gold!-- this morning, for one last time (they are all doomed to Dutch Elm disease... notice the orange spray painted trunks) really made me sad.
But minutes later, camera still sitting out on the front passenger seat, I saw this fox trotting along the railroad tracks that run just behind the Banks Building (where Magpo is located). Now, here is an urban species that, like the White Tail Deer and Canadian Goose, seems to be flourishing; I've seen about a fox a month in various city locales over the last couple of years, yet never saw one as a child growing up in the woods of Mahtomedi. My wife just happened upon a whole litter of kits gamboling about in the park across the street from our house. My theory is that a wider variety of berry and nut-bearing tree species like buckthorn, oak, walnut and buckeye has led to more squirrels, which are food for foxes. As are, I suppose, Canadian Geese...
Interesting to see big trends, the common becoming rare and the rare common, over spans of time; one of the benefits of getting old, I suppose! Here's another theory/prediction: the common-to-rare thing is eventually going to happen with cars.
