The Memory Box #1 : Jasmine the Fox
Photographs are wonderful things.
They can be such a powerful tool for recording one's life and acting as an 'aide memoire' for reliving moments that would otherwise drift into the obscurity of a failing mind.
Alas, all too often they are consigned to a dusty album on the bookshelf, or an unopened folder on your Google Drive, or worse still a battered box of fading prints left untouched in the attic.
What better vehicle than the permanency of the blockchain to save these memories and relive the moments in time each picture represents.
And what better blockchain to use for this than Steem.
So here I begin my Memory Box...
The Memory Box #1 : Jasmine the Fox
People sometimes ask me how I got to use a fox's head as my avatar.
It all dates back to 2004, not long after I moved to my homestead in wild west Wales.
I did some work for a local fishmonger. Instead of money changing hands he gave me five chickens instead.
He had offered fish as an alternative, but the chickens were alive and the fish were dead.
The hens seemed like a better long term investment than the cod or salmon.
So began my poultry keeping adventure that has continued on and off to this current day.
I was a novice to the chicken keeping game, but I soon learnt lesson #1.
Chickens attract foxes.
Foxes like chickens. Chicken don't like foxes.
So I kept my chickens in a nice, secure ark with an extended run that gave them plenty of space to peck around, be happy and lay eggs.
I even secured the perimeter with extra buried netting so the foxes couldn't dig their way into the run and terrorise my feathered friends.
Every evening I would go out at dusk to check on the chickens and lock them up safe for the night in their solidly built ark.
One evening peering out from some nearby bushes I caught sight of a fox.
The fox stood intently watching its next potential meal.
I gave the fox a cold, hard stare with as much menace as I could muster.
The fox stood its ground.
The next evening the fox was there again. This time it emerged from the bushes and stood in full view.
The following night the fox came even closer. I let it be.
This dusky game went on for about a week. Each evening the fox came a little closer, then a little closer still, until it was almost in touching distance.
But I didn't reach out to touch it, nor did I throw stones, shout loudly or chase it away.
To get so close to such a beautiful creature with its shiny coat and glinting eyes was a privilege.
Soon we became friends, with an uneasy peace between us.
I knew the chickens were secure in their house. The fox knew there was no chicken dinner.
But every evening when I went out to put the chickens to bed, the fox was there waiting.
The fox was female so I named her Jasmine.
Jasmine became so familiar and so at ease with me that she began to follow me round the yard like a pet dog.
But she wasn't a pet, she was a wild animal.
Then one day she didn't appear. And she never came back.
I hope she wasn't killed by a hunter.
I hope she met a Mr Fox and together they raised a happy family of fox cubs.
Happy endings are always best.
So it is in honour and memory of Jasmine that I use her head as my avatar on Steem.
Foxes forever !
Pennsif
[ images and graphics by @pennsif ]
Wow, que genial tu historia amigo, todos llegamos a tener una conexión con animales salvajes, yo por ejemplo lo tuve con una tortuga marina y también espero que este bien en este momento porque sé que vivirá más que yo.
sinceramente si me llegue a preguntar varias veces sobre tu foto de perfil, es como uno de los misterios de Steemit más grandes ahora descubiertos, deberías invitar a @the-gorilla a hacer su propia versión y que nos cuente el porque de su foto de perfil.
My story's not very interesting. I added a heart for Valentines day and haven't had the opportunity to turn it into an Easter one yet 🙂
I like this idea and it's one reason that I post content on Steemit - a memory converted into a (maybe) permanent form and an opportunity to reminisce.
Did anybody ever solve all of the anagrams about you? I see event-horizon got the first 3 but don't see an answer to 4 or 5.
Welcome back 🙂
Yes, it is interesting to dig up old photos and remember back.
No, no one ever solved all the anagrams. I guess they were too tricky.
🙂 I worked out the not having a TV one but the one with "old house" is beyond me at the moment. I wonder if the word "underway" is in there somewhere and I'm inclined to think that "old house" is. I don't think my brain will let it go until I've got the final one!
I just understood why the fox became the avatar on your profile after so long and I hope that if the fox or Jasmine is still alive, then she will have a happy new family and children.
What would you do, if one day the fox came back in front of you, would this be a much-anticipated encounter?
This story is the answer to thousands of questions why @pennsif's avatar in steem is a fox head, and apparently there is a very impressive story behind the fox head avatar.
Now we know... Thanks for sharing your story sir
Wow this is a very interesting story that I have never come across. Your fox story is very entertaining. It turns out that's the origin of Mr. @pennsif profile photo
Beautiful story 😍
I also hope she has met a Mr Fox and together they are raising a happy family of fox cubs 🥰.
Yes exactly, happy endings are always best 🤗
First of all, I want to thank you, for telling us the background of the fox being the avatar on your profile. Foxes are fast runners and can be found on all continents. They live in forests and deserts. I'm sure they are now breeding well with their families.
Hopefully the fox will come back. Interesting story to read @pennsif
This is a really interesting story. I'm sure Jasmine Bay met the fox and now she's very happy with her cubs. Dreaming like this makes our lives better 😊