Saturday morning was a very interesting run. At the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, the biological department has created a natural habitat for the animals that inhabit the prairie, and that includes such things as Burrowing Owls, Prairie Dogs, various birds, lizards, snakes, and of course, Coyotes.
At the entrance to the nature trail, there is a sign posted that says: "Coyotes in Area, Pets are at Risk." So, being a nature lover myself, I enjoy these challenges, and these opportunities to engage in a run with the animals.
It was a cool morning, windy, of course, but otherwise a good day for a long run. I sat out about 6:00 in the morning, and got to see the sun rise over the city of Odessa. There is a trail that loops around the University and measures about 3 miles all together, but there is a trail that goes right down the middle of the habitat.
I was on mile 14 of a 15 mile run, and I zipped down that trail through a Mesquite tree forest, basically. They were pretty good sized trees. Suddenly, I look up and there is the biggest Coyote I have ever seen, sitting on the trail right in front of me. I decided to keep running, and about the time I got fairly close, he turned and ran off into the mesquite trees. It didn't really scare me, as I knew that Coyotes would not really attack humans, but I guess you never know. As someone pointed out, I was on his turf, and you never know how they will react if frightened, or God forbid, rabid!
It was a nice adventure, though, and I did see other animals out there. The Prairie Dogs were huge, and made all kinds of noises as I sauntered on by. There were rabbits everywhere that sat on the edges of the trail, watching me run by.
All in all, it was a cool run. It was nice for a change of pace, as well. Odessa is certainly not my favorite place to be, but while there, I got vaccinated for tetanus, yellow fever, and hepatitis for my trip to Africa. So, it was productive, and as a runner, I am always looking for a cool place to run, and this was a cool one!
Jerry
1 comment:
Sounds like fun! Even in some place like Odessa you can find that a run is cool. I'm glad you enjoyed it. And thanks for the nice note on my Blog. :)
Susan
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