Beat the January Blahs with…Coyotes!

Yep. The moment I woke up this morning, there they were…staring me right in the face…even though I had determined to brush them off this year.  The January Blahs had arrived!  Bleck!

I really don't know what my deal is with "the month that shall not be named"…I mean, Elvis' birthday is coming up, spring is on its way, there's not a whole lot of demands on my time.  And yet, for some reason, I just "thud" in January.

Well naturally, I decided that re-instituting my morning walks was absolutely necessary.  Thus, I put on my way-too-tight work out pants (don't even ASK me what happened to the entire box of Peanut Brittle my sweet neighbors brought over just after Christmas), threw on my gianormous SAINTS sweatshirt (yes, Troy…I still have your cast off sweatshirt), and headed out into the bright, cool, and very sunny morning!

My first thoughts were, "Oh!  I LOVE frost!"  The ground and tumbleweeds were covered in it and sparkling in the morning sun like tiny little diamonds.  I instantly decided that the walk was definitely the thing I needed, and as I trod alone watching the sun catching the frost, causing the landscape to look like it had been sprinkled in white Kindergarten glitter, I thought nothing could make the walk more interesting.

As I turned off the beaten path and onto the dirt path that leads out onto the mesa, I noticed a flock of crows just off to my left some distance ahead.  Now, as you know, a flock of crows congregating on the mesa ALWAYS means something interesting is up!  Right?  So naturally (it's my word of the day) I plotted my course to intercept them.

As I approached, however, a coyote appeared about 50 feet in front of me.  I wasn't rattled because I always see her (I'm assuming it's a her because I heard pup last summer out that way).  Almost every morning when I'm walking I see a coyote and like to assume it's the same one.

BUT something was different this morning.  As I walked toward the flock of crows, the coyote began to pace me.  She didn't seem threatening at all, but I did begin to have thoughts of The Windswept Flame (you know, that rabid coyote scene) and was a little more watchful…even slowed my pace.

As the coyote continued to pace me…walking parallel to me about 30 feet off to my left.  Naturally (my word today) I decided to check the time on my phone, and indeed realized that I had been walking for half the time I had planned to walk.  Thus, it was time to turn around…which worked out great, since I had reached the flock of crows and found that their attention seemed fixed on the coyote pacing me.

Turning around then (the coyote now to my right), I saw a few crows a ways beyond her and noticed the flock of crows' attention was riveted on those crows.  Following their crowy gaze, I uttered, "Ah ha!" out loud.  Just beyond the large coyote who was keeping and eye on me, were two young coyotes munching down on the remains of a jack rabbit!  It was clear then why the adult coyote was "fronting me" as my boys would say.

Judging from the size of the younger coyotes (about half the size of the adult), I figure these pups were the ones I'd been hearing last spring and summer!  How fun, right?!  I LOVED it!  Kevin was out for a walk as well, and none-too-pleased when I pointed out the coyote family to him.  (He thinks I should change my walking route.)  Still, after we spoke for a few minutes (at which point he told me his name was Clive, called me Julianna, took his keys out of his pocket and told me they were his room keys and that he was in room 207 and I should meet him there for…well, if you've seen the newest popular sitcom, you'll get all that), he raced off on his own walk.  I watched as the adult coyote,crossed the road in front of Kevin…the two pups leaving their rabbit remains to venture closer to him, too (their attention perfectly fixed on him), all three keeping there distance a lot further from Kevin/Clive than they did from me.

As I walked back to the house, the frost was beginning to melt, the sun was warming me up as well, and I thought, "Yep!  That's exactly the way to beat back the January Blahs!  Frost and coyotes in the morning!"

Another way to beat the January Blahs might be this:  CONTESTS!!!!!  Yes!  Random, pointless blog contests!  Right?

I figure I should probably start with drawing a winner for the GWTW (Gone with the Wind) DVD!  I'm soooooo behind on everything!  Hold on and I'll draw a name out of my hat…

And the winner of the GWTW DVD is…Laura McLendon!  Laura…e-mail your snail mail address to me at marcialmcclure@cs.com so I can pop your DVD in the mail to you!

And now, for a new contest!  Hmmm….let me think…something to look forward to…hmmm.  How about this:  Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win this week's blog contest for not only a DVD collection of 15 Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote Cartoon Favorites…but you'll also receive a copy (I always keep a few on hand) of The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog!  Hank the Cowdog is a children's book (chapter book) but it is HYSTERICAL!  I'm telling you, it's a keeper!  AND Hank does have adventures with coyotes in this book!  You'll love it!

So?  What do you say?  Wanna beat the January Blahs with Coyotes with me?  Then just leave a comment!  (Beep Beep!  I also love roadrunners, you know!)