The “SPF” Fox

Posted on by Prior...

Time for a little Fiction. The Prompt (here) is a taxidermy fox from London’s Natural History Museum.

My flash fiction takes place poolside – with two young adults talking while sitting out at the pool.

 

fox fiction
fox

 

“SPF”Fox (Sunday Fiction Word Count: 150)

 

I like hanging out at your house – and not just because of the pool. It’s eccentric here.

 

Thanks.

 

Tell me again – the stuffed fox in the living room – that was your grandfather’s?

 

Yeah, it’s the SPF fox.

 

What does SPF stand for?

Let me guess.

Shortest path first? Sender policy framework?

 

No, it relates to life balance.

 

Sing, pray, fast? Study, play, fiesta?

 

(laughs)

Not quite.

When my dad was little, gramps was busy studying foxes – he had a breakthrough for a way to age foxes through teeth lines, but he neglected other areas in life and crashed.

So he gave us the fox and said don’t forget the S, the P, and the F to the 3 areas. Spiritual and physical – financial, friends and familia.

 

Dude, that’s deep.

 

I know, but the advice is also simple, practical and-

free!

Thanks for that.

Oh, and can you pass the sunscreen?

.

 

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For more information about FOXES go here: Q/A

A little back story to this flash fiction – there was a real Stephen Harris – who was a biologist (Royal Holloway College in Surrey) and in 1976 he finished a study of a sample of 336 foxes , which were killed in London between 1971 and 1973. Harris found that the most effective method for identifying the age of foxes was to assess the lines of cementum in the tooth root.  Cementum is bone-like connective tissue that covers the root of a tooth. I chose Harris to be a part of the story (as Grandfather) because this Fox photo prompt was taken in London and maybe some of the foxes Harris studied looked like this little fella.

Also, as a joke, I never mentioned SPF for the sun-protection-factor – but alluded to it by being at the pool and then asking for sunscreen.

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Now let’s end with some sunscreen “spf” comics – I am not a big sunscreen fan, but I do think sometimes a little sun protection help is needed – depends on the skin, how much sun exposure, and other factors… eh?

Anyhow, here’s a few comics – and the first one makes me laugh because sometimes the SPF numbers can be over the top….

Thanks for reading – be back soon with a What Pegman Saw post (where they invite us to write about Casablanca, Morocco this week) and I have highlights for a few October blog posts coming this month.

To join in with Sunday Photo Fiction or to read more – go HERE

 

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28 thoughts on “The “SPF” Fox”

  4. Another good abbreviation for “SPF”. I only think of sun screen number when I read this. I like the first comic too – 4 digits and an exponents. Is that equivalent to wearing a space suit all over ?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi – YC – yes that would be equivalent to a space suit – lol – maybe? and the sunflower comic – at the doctor’s – has me thinking about “wrong diagnosing” – but I need to ponder that one more…
      have anice day

      Liked by 1 person

  7. 🙂 Interesting back story and how you weave a tale around it is fascinating. I like how you used SPF for spiritual, physical, financial, friends and familia, and (the reader was eagerly waiting) as a sunscreen lotion too. “Dude, that’s deep” – I agree.

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  11. Wasn’t sure what to expect when I first started reading, but I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation exchanged, and the little bit of history behind why and what you wrote.
    And that fox is so adorable, although the glass eyes of taxidermy animals kinda freak me out. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed him the few times we visited the Natural History Museum. Is he in the mammal gallery?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi – well I have no idea about the photo – these are prompts that the host provides – which by the way – you should consider joining in and writing some – maybe?
      and so in this sunday fiction challenge – the host provided this photo – and guess what – the eyes freaked me out here too – so we have that in common.
      I also was stumped at first on what to write because it seemed so different from many photos I see.
      and then I just decided to read about foxes – quicklike cos only have so much time to blog – and then I read about the London go who studied the foxes – and I thought “that must have taken a lot of his time…”
      and the story took place imagining his offspring

      Liked by 1 person

  12. Lovely narrative,great idea to include the comics in your post.We need some laugh in this crazy world we’re living in …
    Best to you dear friend Yvette 🙂 ❤ xxx

    Liked by 1 person

    1. thanks so much – and I added the comics real quick like – to maybe play off the sunscreen spf which I omitted on purpose – but then I realized the comics I chose are so extra varied and maybe thgat sunflower one has a message to write about later (misdiagnosing perhaps – cos a common theme today is to avoid the sun and use too much chemical spf when we need sunshine to synthesize vitamin d and other things…. )
      anyhow, wishing you a great weekend – and tty s

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