Raised by the Fox
Page 7
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Introduction. "The Porch" has appeared in print as well as shared in email and online between friends and family. It's one of my favorites. The germination of this story started with an old, abandoned house in a section of woods near our place at the time. The area around our house was a great place to take evening strolls, where there were corn fields, a horse ranch, and cattle interspersed around the small community of Etters, Pennsylvania. On a coolish day with the sun beginning to set and rain in the forecast we strolled past the abandoned place. The old house was set back away from the newer paved road, almost lost in the trees and untended growth. An equally old barn sat closer to the road, blocked by a rusted chain with a "No Trespassing" sign attached. Another aging sign was nailed to the barn: "Beware of Dog." There were a growing number of such homes, left behind as newer developments were built, taxes went up, farming community jobs were lost, and the country feel of the place gave way to modern suburbs. We were fortunate to live there before the area became just another bedroom community to the city of Harrisburg up the river. But that is where this story was born.