Esmeralda and the Coyotes

I have a lovely dog named Esmeralda.  She was a rescue and was taken in from a landfill when she was a wee pup.  When I met her, the rescue person told me she was a shepherd mix... because she knew I wanted a shepherd mix.  But as Esmeralda has grown, it has become more and more clear that not only is she not a shepherd mix.  I suspect a coyote in the woodpile.



So I looked up some coyote facts.

Coyotes are found in most of North America, except the cold Arctic tundra. Coyotes can adapt to most climates quite well.





Esmeralda was found in Southern California.  That's in North America.  I checked.

Coyotes are a member of the dog family.


Esmeralda is a member of the dog family.



Coyotes can be anywhere from a yellowish brown to a tawny grey in color. Their belly is usually off~white. This color will usually extend onto the throat area. Coyotes have a pointed muzzle and a flat forehead. The tail is quite bushy. Coyotes are between the size of a fox and a wolf.  


Esmeralda is yellowish brown in color. Her belly is off~white. This color extends onto her throat area. Esmeralda has a pointed muzzle and a flat forehead. Her tail is quite bushy. Esmeralda is between the size of a fox and a wolf.  

Coyotes are quite playful. Pups will often play~fight and wrestle. A scared coyote will hold its head low and tuck his tail between his/her legs. 




Esmeralda is quite playful. She likes to play~fight and wrestle. When scared, she holds her head low and tucks her tail between his/her legs.  



When a coyote hears loud sounds it will prick its ears up. If it is another coyote, it will often reply. To us this is howling, but to a coyote it is their way of communicating. They are most active during the early morning and at twilight.  


When a Esmeralda  hears loud sounds she pricks her ears up. If it is another dog, she will often reply. She is most active during the early morning and at twilight. 



Coyotes are mainly carnivores. But, they will also eat fruit and insects. The carnivore part of their diet is mostly rodents, such as mice, rats and the odd rabbit. They also eat carrion.

Esmeralda is mainly a carnivore.  But, she will also eat fruit and insects.. and little treasures she finds in the cat box. The carnivore part of her diet is mostly pet food and table scraps... which she likes to drag out of her bowl.  






Where was I going with all this?  Well, first it was a chance to show you some dog pictures.  But also, it came up because there's a new coyote charm in my charm shop.







It's a tiger's eye coyote with a pressed glass full moon.




There's also a hematite coyote with a pressed glass star.



And one of quartz crystal.



And it's entirely possible that they are ALL related to Esmeralda.

A Stroll Around the Lake… and Some Cool Earrings

This morning, rather than torturing myself with Boot Camp at the Y, Chris and I took Esmeralda for a nice long walk, down to Echo Park Lake, around it, and back. Esmeralda did very well. No meltdowns while passing other dogs. And there were no skunks along the way, so she didn’t feel the need to profess her love for the smelly cats.

This is me, fired up and ready to go.



I conducted my usual experiment, saying good morning to everyone who would make eye contact, seeing how many good mornings I got back. (14 out of 21, with 13 no-eye-contacts)

The last time we walked around the lake, we saw two blue herons and a brown heron. No blue herons today, but there were some brown ones on the island. The island was inaccessible; it’s closed off so the birds can hang without being harassed. Not close enough for a good shot. And no loti are blooming in the lake. Very sad.

But the lake was full of ducks and geese and coots. Didn’t get close enough to any of the geese (which was a good thing, Esmeralda having the freak out temperament she has). But we saw a coot and a baby coot:





And a mama duck with her ducklings:





While we were walking, I finally figured out a story point I’d been fiddling with for weeks (huzzah).

On the way back we passed some urban art: a painted mattress, on the site where an apartment building collapsed a few years back, at the corner of Echo Park and Park.



And, lest we forget the jewelry angle, I think the moonstone earrings I made match the color of the June gloom sky.



I know. It’s no mattress art. But so little is.