A Mountain Lion and Me

Posted on July 2, 2008 - Filed Under Arizona, Grand Canyon, marathon mom, marathon training

I started training again, marathon training that is.  It was a tough decision.  I was getting used to having more time at home to chill out after ten days skipped.  But I went the other day, and then again today.  Beat the heat and got my butt out there before sun-up. 

And then, second day back, I saw tracks.  Uh, huh.  Tracks.  Not little bunny rabbit tracks.  No, the maker of these tracks would have had that little bunny rabbit as a snack and used its bones as toothpicks.  Not even coyote tracks, an animal so ridiculously feared and misunderstood in the southwest that is would be humorous but for the danger to this mostly docile dogs.  I would gladly have met up with a bunny, or a coyote, or a bird, or just about anything except that big cat that left the tracks.

Yep.  One .  Big.  Cat.

A mountain lion.  Also known as puma, catmount, or cougar depending on where you’re from, this is a large and scary critter.  A sweet little kitty it is not.

But it is a fascinating animal and one that deserves protection.  I hope it can tell I feel this way as it is deciding whether or not to eat me.

And I, fool that I am was out running in a remote wooded area at dawn.  I was certainly making movements much like the deer whose carcass I had just seen cached surely had been making when it was taken down as a tasty dinner.  Whisker lickin’ good!

Oh yeah, I was nervous.  Was I to become the breakfast of champions to this big cat?

My hair stood up on my neck and I got chills.  I knew it was watching me.  I could feel it.  Probably just my imagination, but better to be careful. 

I never saw the cat, and I hightailed it the hell out of there… fast.  But not before I picked up a big ole rock and hobbled along lugging it with me.  I had grand visions of hurling it venomously at any creature that dared pounce my very meaty behind.

Hubby laughed when I told him what happened.  Apparently my wild imagination precedes me.

Later that day, just for kicks and giggles, I checked with my friend, a park wildlife biologist.  When I told him where I was running he gave me a look.  Apparently that was prime lion territory.  They had been tracking them in that area for months.  Goody.  I really was almost a snack.

A very meaty, and wildly imaginative snack though.

________________________       Art imitates life, and life imitates art. 

What I see every day influences what I create, so writing this blog and creating my designs are natural extensions of who I am. 

If you are interested in viewing my designs, primarily for kids but also some cool stuff for adults and also doggies (who we all know are integral parts of all families) check them out at:

http://www.cafepress.com/sugarsprouts

See you around the mountains and canyons of northern AZ!

“If you don’t laugh at life, it sneaks up and bites you in the ass!”

 

Comments

One Response to “A Mountain Lion and Me”

  1. Dawn on July 3rd, 2008 3:34 pm

    Yeoooww!! That’s it! That’s my reason to never take up running! LOL

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