Where was the camera?

We are becoming bonafide acreage people! Last night we were out in the yard digging up our perfectly good well to take out an existing pipe and plumb in a new one to attached the sprinkler system that is soon to come. By "we" I mean that Casey was doing all the digging and hard work and I was sitting nearby, handing over tools, and keeping track of all the shiny parts and tools that the dog was dragging off and/or trying to eat. It was great fun involving a lot of dirt and not even any cursing this time!

About halfway through the project, our cheering section (ie., Katie the Pup) streaked off across the yard barking. Not far in front of her was a very healthy fox with a tail bigger than the whole rest of her body. They got halfway across the pasture, then stopped, squared off, and had a staring contest. We watched, wondering if we were going to have to come to Katie's rescue, but then the fox turned tail and trotted away. Katie ran home, obviously very proud of her brave defense of her territory. It was quite entertaining! Casey's dad (who is our next-door-neighbor-across-the-pasture) says they have seen this fox quite frequently, but this was my first close-up look at her.

Should I rethink the chickens (since I want the kind that are free to roam around the yard freely most of the day)? And how do I make sure that the dog doesn't think they are meant for her dining pleasure? We shall see!