Friday, February 18, 2005

Friday, 18 February 2005 - Local wildlife

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for the local wildlife with whom we co-exist.

T and I are hiking the trail this morning. It's humid and very cold. I can see T's breath as he stops to sniff the underbrush. I feel the air's icy prickles on my nostrils. I urge T to walk briskly so I can warm up. I'm glad I wore a hat and thick socks.

I usually daydream during our morning walks, preoccupied by what I will write when I return home. However, earlier this week, a lady at the post office warned me about a mountain lion sighting near our neighborhood, so I am more vigilant than usual. I don't anticipate any trouble - we're not hiking during prime mountain lion hours.

As our path winds through the open meadow, I look ahead and see a coyote standing on the trail about 100 feet away. His presence doesn't surprise me. Since we live in the foothills, we're used to seeing wildlife including deer, rabbits, hawks, snakes, coyotes, raccoons, mountain lions, foxes, and bears.

Each wildlife sighting, however, is special. Most of the surrounding open spaces that we've enjoyed for years are now luxury housing developments. As their natural habitats disappear, our wildlife friends retreat to the mountains for refuge. I'm sad to see them go - afterall, they were here first.

We stop so I can observe the coyote's actions. He stares at us with keen eyes, taking a good look at T. Then, sensing that we're harmless, he appears to shrug his shoulders before turning around and casually trotting away. I lose sight of him when he leaves the trail and heads for the scrub oak. I hope he has a very good day at the office.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

No comments: