Sunday, February 24, 2013

The Coyote & Apollo In The Headlight

I had gone to town today for some supplies and to make a much needed phone call to the states to my wife.  The sun was already an hour over the horizon and well into darkness as I drove down the winding dirt road back to my camp.  I’ve always enjoyed driving the dirt roads of Baja at night for the plants and cactus take on interesting forms in the headlights.

I’d been on the dirt road for about a ½ hour and Apollo was doing his usual 8 mile run to camp  from the highway.  Apollo was running in the light of the headlights about 150 feet in front of the Samurai.  He likes to lead the way whenever he is running.

We were going along at a good pace, about 12 mph when out of the right side window I spotted something running in the faint light from the headlights.  It was a coyote gaining speed on the Samurai  and then when it passed me it slid into the direct light of the headlights and started running about 20 feet behind Apollo.  Apollo had no idea the coyote was behind him, I guess because of the noise of the engine and plus coyotes make no noise when they run.  The coyote stayed running in the headlights for about 30 seconds just behind Apollo, I guess he must have thought Apollo was a coyote.

Then all of a sudden Apollo realized the coyote was behind him and spun around and then the chase was on.  Apollo went bazerk and took off after that coyote into the darkness.  I kept driving and then back came the coyote across the headlights with Apollo hot on its heels.  The coyote did a 360 around the Samurai and back across the headlights once again then disappeared one last time into the darkness.  I kept driving and soon Apollo was back in front again as if nothing unusual had taken place, while I sat thinking of how cool that show was.  We got back to camp and Apollo got a couple of extra biscuits for that one.

No comments:

Post a Comment