It was late afternoon and I was walking in the desert near Tucson. I was checking out cactus and rocks and doing some thinking as I soaked up the afternoon sun and pondered all my friends back home in Seattle in the cold and the mist. And then, off to my right, I saw a dog. But it wasn't a dog all all but a coyote, coming right toward me on an almost for-sure collision course. A second coyote was right behind. For a second I thought they were wolves, but then I remembered the only wolves in these parts were up the road at the Sonoran Desert Museum.I CLAPPED MY HANDS, making a high pitched "smack" sound. The coyotes stopped in their tracks, looked at me, then trotted back to where they had come from.
A few minutes later, as the sun was about to set, I passed by a short saguaro, and I saw my shadow right on the side of that cactus. So I pulled my little camera from my pocket and snapped this photo. I believe I make a good looking cactus.
Great photo, Chuck! Glad you are enjoying your trip.
ReplyDeleteThat's a cool camera trick! I'll have to try it next time I'm out that far west. I've enjoyed your twitter updates!
ReplyDeleteYou were very lucky about the coyotes. Not because you scared them away, but because conditions were just right for them not to notice you.
ReplyDeleteIt is a rare event indeed when we serendipitously can view desert wildlife quite close. Count your lucky stars.
Even as a knowlegable wildlife do-it-yourselfer, have I been able to be as close as 20 or 30 yards to large mammal wildlfe.
My most memorable being some elk in the Coconino National Forest that were grazing along with some cattle right outside my cabin window.
The other time was at Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas. We were just done unhooking and about ready to leave when a sizable mountain lion appeared on the driveout road about 20 yards away. It just stood there for about a minute looking at us and then slowly walked away into some nearby brush.