Coyote Encounter
![Image](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTIaxjWTmVOGag7gL6xdLwBzWtEatf8j3pleaYAmvmnVK8lXLBqf1A7kSahe0vdh971LPA9GhMmYu4FXC_y9-qfefa6lZnLPU-gpwO6qU_wZ_BewhyphenhyphenkVByL-YZ69Ho-9Sp9bYrIc4pv7e/s400/IMG_20181124_155447251_HDR.jpg)
Yikes! I haven't posted since August. And now I'm only back for a brief flash because I have a story I want to tell. But I plan to rejoin IWSG in 2019. :) Looks so innocent, right? And usually it is. But last weekend, I was walking these grassy trails as dusk approached. About 30 feet ahead, a coyote cut across the trail. My first thought: "Cool. A coyote!" My second thought: "Uh, I'm not sure how far off the trail she went. Maybe instead of continuing to walk this way, I should head in the opposite direction." Remembering the black bear safety tips I'd learned before a trip to the Smoky Mountains, I continued facing the coyote's direction and took steps backward. The rule (which I later confirmed also applies to coyotes): Don't turn your back on the animal and DON'T run away. If you do, you could be perceived as prey. As I slowly moved away, I spotted Madame Coyote standing not far off the trail, and I congratula