Coyotes and Armadillos
In 2004, the Grand Duchess and I drove from California to Maryland. Kind of like Thelma and Louise, only we didn’t drive into the Grand Canyon. All the Interstates are kind of boring because you don’t see much except the back end of the truck in front of you. I enjoyed the times we were driving off the main road because there certainly was more to see.
The first remarkable thing were the coyotes. Everywhere. They were walking down the sides of the roads like dogs! Talk about an “entitled attitude”- not afraid of man or beast and they seem to be taking over, all over the US. Supposedly they’ve made it all the way to the more wooded parts of Maryland now. They’ll eat a cat. Probably a Pomeranian too if they can catch it!
The other critter I noticed all the way through to Missouri were all the “squished” armadillos along the road. Probably hundreds of ‘em. And those were just the unfortunate ones that got hit. It seems they’re on the move too. They used to live South of the Rio Grande, and it was thought they stayed South because they couldn’t swim. Apparently they’ve learned to swim! There’s lots of good pickins’ around farms and trash cans. They’ve been fruitful and multiplied and headed North. I read something that they aren’t good at retaining body heat, so their range is limited to warmer places. Canada is probably safe from the armored peril!
If we could just convince the coyotes to eat the armadillos, but then we’d have fat happy coyotes all over the place wouldn’t we?
Another example of culture moving West to East was in the local newspaper the other day. It was an ad for a New Years Celebration. It was for an evening of bull riding, followed by a deejay dance (C&W, I guess) What surprises me about it is that this is Maryland, land of skipjacks and crab feasts. I’m not a horse person, but I associate Maryland with jumping, and show riding and English saddles. Bull riding makes me think of Slim Pickens in chaps for some reason.
Roy Rogers was cool. Cowboys are cool. I just don’t expect to see cowboys back here!
Right before Christmas we had to go get a new tire for the snow blower at a store called “Tractor Supply” They sell stuff like that; tools, and things for livestock. In the Spring they get in all kinds of little chicks and ducks, and I always enjoy sneaking in to look at them even if I can’t raise poultry here. I saw this old dude getting out of his truck. He looked like an old farmer; kind of sun damaged. Only he was all dressed up- had a belt with a silver buckle, and a Western shirt with a bolo tie and cowboy boots! That truck had a Maryland tag and I’d bet money that fellow hasn’t been West of the Rockies his whole life. But there he was… a Maryland cowboy.
Wonder if he’s taking the Missus to the bull riding fest? Hey, Rock On!
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December 27th, 2007 at 9:05 pm
When I was a kid growing up in Delaware in the 60’s, there was a rodeo in New Jersey, just over the Delaware Memorial Bridge (in Woodstown, maybe?). I think I was there maybe once in my life, but I remember hearing commercials for it on the radio. I think it was called the Cowtown Rodeo. I just googled it, and it’s apparently still there!
http://www.njsouth.com/index-cowtown.htm
The Cowtown Rodeo was born the same year I was!
December 29th, 2007 at 11:12 am
About 20 years ago there were few if any coyotes here in Michigan. Now they are everywhere. I have a small dog and I have to guard her when I take her out at night because it seems there is always a story about coyotes eating small dogs.
On the other hand, we also used to have a huge problem with feral house cats around here. Now that they coyotes are back, we don’t have that problem anymore.