two-coyote mornings

You could say this is my second two-coyote morning in a row. What I mean is that yesterday I saw two coyotes, real live ones, and this morning I saw two more, albeit in a different form, in the bone case in my room.

This is the #1 reason I think I will never, ever move from where I live:

the possibility of heading out my door and sharing the woods and streets with coyotes and other creatures.

Yesterday, I was at the end of my little hike to the redwoods with Burns.  He was behind me somewhere, off-leash, following his nose.  I caught sight of a tawny creature ahead of me, tail streaming out behind, funny gait, and recognized the three-legged coyote I haven't seen for a while, for a few years.  The first time I saw her was in 2004 and 2005, with Jasper.   I remember checking in with an Open Space ranger about this three-legger, and he knew her, too.  Funny that after so many years, she's still around.  

Then again, so am I.

She headed down toward the creek, and I moved as quietly as I could toward her, glad that Burns was busy elsewhere.  I got closer and closer, could see her drinking, when suddenly crash, there was Burns running up beside me.  I roped him up, turned back to look and she was gone, but then from the left, down the hill, came a big healthy-looking male, just trotting along with purpose across the path some 50 yards ahead of us and then up the other side of the valley and away.

Naturally, Burns was eager to follow. I can't say I blame him.

Every time I see these creatures, every time I hear them in the night, singing their weird strangled cry, every single time I feel grateful.  It's truly a splendid thing indeed to be around The Wild, The Free. It leaves me feeling so moved, better, content.

This morning's walk was very early and dark and on the streets of our neighborhood mostly, so we didn't see any more than birds and other leashed dogs.  I came home and spent a moment in front of the bone case in my room, looking at the coyote skull purchased long at The Bone Room positioned just-so in front of the photo I took of the first coyote I ever saw, near Big Rock in Lucas Valley, late on a summer's day.

It's so pleasing to know they're out there.  So exciting never to know when I might get lucky and see them, on ghost-feet slipping through the trees.

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