Here in Arizona, and in many places in the US, coyotes are everywhere. We have a growing population in Florida as well. I think they're interesting, charming and versatile as a species.
Even the nature lovers among our human inhabitants here on Earth tend to forget the majesty of a creature as it becomes more common. And poor coyote has fallen victim to irreverence since he's not so rare. But I find him pretty amazing.
On Saturday as we were driving up to Pinnacle Peak (outside of Carefree, Arizona) for a hike, the light was so beautiful streaming through the saguaros all over the landscape. They looked like they were glowing as the sun highlighted the spines. And the salt bushes were almost angelic as the morning illuminated their fluffy seed vessels and the ground around them as if touched by newly fallen snow.
I asked the Coaching Goddess to pull over so I could take a photo or two, and we happened to choose the spot right where a coyote had passed out of its life. It was probably hit by a car. Because the ground was covered in the white dandelion-like fluff, I didn't even notice him at first. Then I saw his paws, still in tact.
You can see his outline in the second photo on this post too, if you look closely.
I thought about Coyote for the rest of the day and what his life must have been like from the start as a playful pup, through adolescence and going out on his own, and to all of the trials of his adult life surviving on what the desert provides.
His final resting place is so beautiful, and his body is going back into the desert. Where his spirit is, I could only guess.
