Kodi (the big black dog) and I had cycled to Brookfield Creek where he loved to soak in its cool water. Returning from his “spa”, both of us spied two young coyotes on the road ahead of us. Ignoring my frantic calls, he took off after them, following them into the brush. Knowing how cleverly coyotes lure prey to the pack, I was incredibly relieved when he eventually emerged. He’s big but not a fighter. When we went by the same location later that same day, he dashed back to the edge of the bush where they and he had disappeared earlier. After a ferocious sounding woof or two, he continued on down to the creek for his dunking. On the way back, he repeated the action accompanied by the loud bark. Having stated his case decisively - twice now - he was (thankfully) content to join me once more on the road home!
On a sunny winter afternoon, Kodi and I were exploring his “turf”, plunging through the forest over both icy snow and bare ground. He spotted a couple of deer and ran at them but they just gracefully bounded away for a short distance before stopping to look back. I suspect they know each other. We continued on, doggie covering much more territory than I, as is normal. He knew where he was, but I wasn’t always so sure about my situation. At one point I stopped in the brush where I’d been following some deer tracks in the snow and yelled: “Are you on a trail, because I’m not?” While doggie did not answer, he stopped above me.
A sudden rustling in some brush lying just ahead of my feet caught my attention. I looked down in time to see a snowshoe hare emerge - and then it stopped. Just stopped right there, white on white, sitting on the snow not two metres from me. We regarded each other with such great interest for a moment or two that I thought we trusted each other. However, when I reached for my camera, he took off. Still he didn’t go very far, but tucked into some bushes further away and watched me from there. Perhaps he liked my elderly red jacket. Certainly he didn’t hold it against this big thing had disturbed his peace and tranquillity. It was the first of two snowshoe hares I would see that afternoon. They were white but had some grey tinges to their fur. Or is it hair? (Pun intended!) Fortunately big black dog missed them both. In between times I heard a grouse, but did not see it, and was much entertained by a squirrel who darted out between dog and I, then retreated to a tree. Here it ran up and down the trunk, out onto the branches as far as it dared, and back again. The sun shone through its hair (fur?) so it glistened in red, orange and brown light. I eventually had to tear myself away from this show as doggie was getting way ahead of me. Good thing he didn’t know what else he missed that afternoon.
On a different outing in The Flats, a friend and I met a couple of dogs that we hadn’t met before outside their home. It was a very good thing that I petted those fellas because, as we started to move forward again, just in front of my walking buddy, was one of those creepy crawly things, slithering across the road. If I hadn’t stopped, I could have stepped on it. That would not have been good for me - or for the snake! Yea for doggies - my protectors!
