in it up to his neck

The coyotes are back. We haven't seen or heard them since last winter...until tonight. I took the dogs out, and Derby and Nadia took off for the adjoining field, as always. A minute later, I heard, from the direction of the field, a long, slow, oooOOOOOOOOOOOooooo. The hair on the back of my neck bristled, and I shouted the dogs back to me through the darkness. They'll be going out on leashes after dark until Spring.

I'm not complaining; it's not like we live in the city...we're in their territory. See:

A friend lives here (below) - right IN L'ville - and she saw a coyote in her backyard not long ago. 

In the ongoing battle between man and all the rest of the natural world, I can honestly say it would be okay with me if we don't win. 

But I still don't want a coyote to eat my dogs.

moose molar ring, by Malodora on etsy

 

  

 Nature includes all of the universe 

and man is not only a part of nature, 

he is in it up to his neck.

~ N.J. Berrill

  

http://confessionsofasineater.blogspot.com/

complex and clever

A friend came upon a coyote in the woods today,  crouched down and guarding a meal not meant for him. The beast did not want to relinquish his prize; the man retreated, then returned, shouting, "Go on, get away!" With a baleful glare, the coyote slowly turned, then vanished into the trees. My friend was frightened - a rare occurrence - and wonders if he really won that battle. He says he felt himself watched as he left the woods, and dreads returning.

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The coyote is formally known as Canis latrans, with the English word coming from the Spanish; Spanish conquistadors borrowed the word from the Nahuatl coyotl. Coyotes play an important role in the mythology of many Native American nations, where the coyote is often depicted as a trickster god. Coyote legends often include complex and clever shenanigans and tricks in which an anthropomorphized Coyote pulls the wool over everyone's eyes.

Coyotes look a lot like dogs, with brownish-gray to yellow-gray fur and a classic canine profile. They are also extremely bold, and very clever. Coyotes are famous for being heard and not seen, with a wide array of vocalizations including yips and howls which are often included in Westerns for ambiance. However, these canids are also extremely bold, and they are typically unafraid of people when they encounter them. from www.wisegeek.com

flickr.com/photos/dcartiersr

I can't say why that story and these images go together, but they do. Can you figure it out? If so, will you explain it to me?

photos: codeforsomething.com, younggalleryphoto.com, via alifesdesign.blogspot.com,

maygrey.tumblr.com, simonbrownphotography.com (x4)

"The interval between the decay of the old and the formation and establishment of the new constitutes a period of transition which must always necessarily be one of uncertainty, confusion, error, and wild and fierce fanaticism."  - John C. Calhoun

http://confessionsofasineater.blogspot.com/