It's Like That Coyote Just Knew
There are coyote that roam our canyons, and I’m talking about the feral four-legged creatures, not the folks involved in human trafficking. I probably run into the animals two or three times a month and never with any incident. They just merrily move along the road before ducking into the woods. [A sharp contrast, I might add, to a couple of scary coyote encounters I had in Cape Cod.]
The other day I was only about 5 minutes into my run when I saw a shadowy figure in the middle of the road in the glow of early morning. A rogue patch of fog made it a little hard to see too far ahead. Still, there was no mistaking this was a coyote from its build. It stopped and turned toward me as I approached. I stopped too. Then he turned back and silently sauntered up the street, periodically checking to see if I was still behind. I was, of course, moving much more slowly. It’s one thing to be in the company of coyote and quite another to try and overtake one.
We got to a T in the road and my intentions were to go left and head west. But the coyote turned left and then stopped, so I decided to turn right and end this little chase. That’s when I was literally struck by one of the most beautiful sunrises I’d seen in years. The kind that sticks with you and the type of beginning I’d been missing out on for awhile now. In that split moment, I felt the old Runner Anne return, the one that’s alert but not afraid. I turned back to see if the animal was still in the road, but he’d moved on. As I continued heading toward the sunrise, I privately thanked that spirit in matted fur for helping show me the way.
The other day I was only about 5 minutes into my run when I saw a shadowy figure in the middle of the road in the glow of early morning. A rogue patch of fog made it a little hard to see too far ahead. Still, there was no mistaking this was a coyote from its build. It stopped and turned toward me as I approached. I stopped too. Then he turned back and silently sauntered up the street, periodically checking to see if I was still behind. I was, of course, moving much more slowly. It’s one thing to be in the company of coyote and quite another to try and overtake one.
We got to a T in the road and my intentions were to go left and head west. But the coyote turned left and then stopped, so I decided to turn right and end this little chase. That’s when I was literally struck by one of the most beautiful sunrises I’d seen in years. The kind that sticks with you and the type of beginning I’d been missing out on for awhile now. In that split moment, I felt the old Runner Anne return, the one that’s alert but not afraid. I turned back to see if the animal was still in the road, but he’d moved on. As I continued heading toward the sunrise, I privately thanked that spirit in matted fur for helping show me the way.
