TheBanyanTree: Since I can't have the Hoedown this year at the farm...

[Cecil]

At 10:00 AM -0700 6/17/04, Theta Brentnall wrote:
>At 09:43 AM 6/17/04 -0700, Cecil wrote:
>
>>If by some fortunate circumstance I can manage to transport my old 
>>bag of bones to Pennsylvania, would you have time to take me coyote 
>>hunting? I might shoot with a camera instead of a gun, but I think 
>>it would be a dream come true.
>
>If Sheri doesn't take you up on this, come up here.  I saw a couple 
>of coyotes in the pasture across the street just yesterday.

I would love to go back up there, Theta. And if I visit you, I 
promise not to trip and fall on my  face. I was pleasantly surprised 
at how beautiful that part of the country is. I had expected a sort 
of dry brushy landscape.

>   A while back I commented to a guy who works for Fish and Game that 
>the coyotes have been quiet.  They used to sing almost every night, 
>but it's been months since I heard them.  He assured me they were 
>still around, but the mountain lion population has been growing 
>here, and the coyotes have discovered that if they sing, the lions 
>can find them easier to have themselves a little Canis Latrans 
>appetizer.  So we might even go out on the trail and see if we can't 
>spot a mountain lion.

Them thar coyote boogers are smart critters. They learn real quick 
and can adapt. I remember when I was about ten years old and living 
on a farm in West Texas. Sometimes I could hear the coyotes yodeling 
at night, but we almost never saw one.

Casper's Park, east of Capistrano here in California, used to be an 
undeveloped wilderness area. Fay and I loved to camp and hike there. 
One time we were hiking on a trail and say a coyote up ahead of us. 
It went into the brush, and when we got to the place where it left 
the trail, it barked at us. I had not realized coyotes could bark.

On one of our hikes we saw a mountain lion on the trail ahead of us. 
This is the park in which a little girl was attacked by a cougar and 
rescued by a hiker. Also it is where the bicyclist was killed  and 
partially eaten by a lion. I guess as their habitat is being taken 
over by people they are becoming more dangerous.
>
>Sheri, I am astonished that you aren't scheduled for the Bass Pro 
>super store in Missouri.  Every time we visit Ger's aunt and uncle 
>in Monett, they take us to the Bass Pro store since it is one of the 
>destination sights in the southwestern part of the state.  So, when 
>are you coming out to California, huh?  Like Cecil said, we have 
>coyotes here and I know some people who raise sheep who would love 
>to meet you.
>
>Theta

Gene is to retire in about two weeks, and I hope he and I can do a 
lot of traveling. Don't be surprised if we come a-knocking at your 
door sometime. Theta, I sure would like to get some tapes of coyotes 
and mountain lions and other stuff with my digital camcorder.

Cecil