Sunday, May 9, 2010

An unexpected meeting

One of the privileges in life for many years now is to be able to wake up when the sleep has ended.
No alarm clock, no sergeant, no screaming kids.
Peacefully the eyes open when enough unconsciousness and dreamland wandering has been had.

Usually this is always at about the same time.
Before the sun comes up.
When the first light of the day announces.
Therefore in winter time the sleep is much longer than in summer.

After rising the first thing is to walk to the end of the cliff in front of the Fuso Szulc to oversee the Pacific Ocean.
To greet the new day.
To absorb the infinity of the sea.
To feel the temperature and the light wind.
And to have the emotion of being deeply thankful for yet another wonderful day in life.

This morning the ceremony on the cliff had a surprising twist.
Suddenly a coyote appeared from a lower level of the cliff.
The animal had not been aware a human was standing up there.
In an instant the coyote and the man were as close as two meters (6 feet) away from each other.
The coyote froze.
Stopped its walking instantly.
Its surprise so big that it couldn't move at all anymore.
Meanwhile, the human realized that by not moving or making a sound, the coyote would not get afraid.
This has been learned from Animal Planet TV channel.
Where hunters on safari use this technique when meeting lions and elephants.

And it worked very well.
The coyote was just standing there offering the opportunity to the human to study the animal in detail.
And to have an encounter with an intimacy rarely experienced with wild coyotes.

This particular coyote had a good fur but was rather skinny.
Obviously having a hard time finding enough food.
That's why the animal patrols the beach and walks along the cliff hoping the ocean has washed ashore the carcass of a dolphin or seal.
To have some meat for breakfast.

The spell with the coyote took almost a minute.
A glorious moment as was common in Paradise when animals and men had the best relationship.
And then the coyote decided it was time to go.
She continued her roving and roaming as if nothing had happened.
Bye, bye, coyote.
You have a nice day too.




1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"Your meeting with the coyote reminds of waking a big one out back of my house. We were both very surprised at the sight of the other and neither could immediately move; soon he tiptoed away and pretended I didn't see him."

D. C.