Just a few miles from my house is a nature trail, more like a wildlife preserve with a walking trail through it. The trail winds and loops through a thick collage of mesquite and oak trees, hundreds if not thousands of types of plants, and bordered with wildflowers. The thick, untended underbrush is a perfect home to many kinds of animals.
I very much enjoy using the walking trail to get some exercise. It is not completely flat, but contorts from side to side and up and down with several steep grades that really burn the calories. My favorite time to go is in the mornings when it is cool and the wildlife is active.
My wife is not as much of a nature lover as I am. While I thoroughly enjoy seeing the critters and even just hearing them rustling around as I walk by she gets leery and tense. I have never worried about them getting aggressive with me, holding to the adage "They're more afraid of you than you are of them- which has worked out pretty good so far.
I had finally convinced her to walk there with me a couple of weeks ago, until...
First, an anecdote.
About a month ago I was making my way around the trail, passing the entrance, when a woman began her walk. She asked if I had seen any animals. I replied that I had, and she asked what kind. I told her I had seen a few rabbits, some squirrels, a lot of cardinals, and one skunk. She asked me if I had seen a javelina, which is, to grossly oversimplify, a wild pig. I laughed as I replied, "no, none of those."
She said, "Thank God," and began her walk.
I had laughed because I would have thought that though its a nature trail, that it was more suited for the many species of birds that lived there, given the proximity of a large neighborhood. Previous rumors of a deer living there turned out to be only a goat, possibly an escaped pet. No sightings of pumas or jaguars ever occurred or even storied about. Just small animals and a lot of birds. Sometimes the trees seem to be on fire because of all the cardinals in it.
So, one fine day I was walking with my wife and kids. It was in the afternoon but I still thought we would see the cardinals in action. There were no cardinals in sight, probably because of the unreal amount of walkers, and a couple of goobers riding bikes on the trail.
We came around the corner and saw what I first thought was a dog, then maybe a bobcat- at which point I froze. It took a few seconds to realize that it was indeed a javelina.
We went walking along a part of the trail that was bordered by a neighborhood. Someone had thrown some tortillas over the fence, obviously for the javelina. He, or she, was happily going from one to the other. All it did as we walked by was look up at us, steadily munching.
I was delighted to see it, and more so that it did not seem to mind us at all. My wife, on the other hand, was terrified. She finished her walk, but has not gone back since. She is very good about exercising and enjoyed the workout that the inclines gave her, but not at all about the javelina. I explained that nothing would burn more calories than running from a charging javelina intent on ripping you apart, but that has not helped.
I have been back since but have not seen the javelina. I have thought that maybe she will walk with me if I carry some tortillas to throw at it in case it shows up. But, carrying a tortilla would be like carrying a gun. You would be more likely to use it, and just getting the permit would be exhausting.
I guess it's time to get the clothes off the treadmill.
Ken McCreless is just a guy who loves to write. No dazzling website or publishing milestones, just a love for words and a respect for the power they wield. Contact him at ken@kenmccreless.com
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