Taking my two beagles on daily canyon walks is a reminder that we are visitors in someone else’s living room.
Whether it’s a rabbit in the brush, a rattlesnake on a rock, or the rare presence of a mountain lion, there is a deep sense of mutual respect out here.
Every creature has as much right to this canyon as we do.
Today, my two beagles and I got a front-row seat to the canyon’s newest generation.
Right beside the trail, two young coyote pups stepped into view.
THEY WERE SMALL, FUZZY, AND BRIMMING
WITH WIDE-EYED CURIOSITY
My beagles immediately locked eyes with them. Hound instincts are powerful, and if they had their way, they would have rushed into the brush to investigate.
But with their leashes firmly in hand, there was zero risk of a likely encounter with the Mommy coyote that was probably not too far away.
The pups watched us, and my beagles starting howling much like coyotes do. I held them back, and we all appreciated the magic of a shared neighborhood.
After 15 seconds or so, the little coyotes vanished back into the chaparral – leaving Robert Campbell and two very hopped up beagles to continue on.