CoyoteCoyote

After an early morning walkabout yesterday (quiet, save for Hawk's call, and a glimpse of some critter running through the tall grasses in Owl Woods...oh!...and Mallards swimming, and Kingfisher flying by at Creek's End)...and after Breakfast, I thought to Shuttle over to the Village for laundry soap....driver called out 'Coyote!' as we went over the Creek Bridge....clip...and then at the Store, Edie was in cashier line with large water bottles, and I with soap, and I...was diverted....next thing I know, it's midnight, and I'm making a trip to the little rest room under the Tamarask Tree at a little free desert campground called Stovepipe, and just as my headlamp shines around the building's corner, I sight a little Owl blinking and looking back at me...I think it was a Burrowing Owl...Ranger today thereabout thought it might have been a Poorwill....still checking my books!...didn't get a good look, as I hurried back to the Green Tent for my camera, but when I got back the Little Owl was gone....but up in the Tamarask I found the Loggerhead Shrike seen earlier...night flash pic for sometime...under the stars and moon and clouds and wind, I was back and forth across the Road checking the Tamarasks with my headlamp for Owl!...even heard a kinda call I think!...but no luck....it was blustery windy..the half Moon in a dark sky with streaked and smeared about moonlit grey clouds...and hot!...many pics and clips on the rideabout to the campsite during the day....and in the morning we were up early to see Sunrise at Zabriske Point...and on the way from there to other sights to see...Edie called out 'Coyoyte!' just before Furnace Creek...I hopped out...and got a knockdown pic and clip of Coyote...a bookend sighting with yesterday's!...Creek to Creek!... pics and clips of many things, for sometime!...on way back, came upon going up Tioga Pass, first snow dusting the Peaks in Tuolumne...very cool...and a very welcome cool after the desert heat!...a fine two day rideabout of the East Side...and much thanks to Edie for inviting me along!....sunny hot cloudy hot cloudy cool snow rain...along with missing Owl pic, I missed three Hawk pics...one at Tioga Lake...camera set to Owl low light exposure...hmmph...one at Manzanar...not out of the car quick enough...and the last in the Meadows...Hawk on a snag...but no place to pull out, and Hawk gone on a return looksee...sigh...did get a blurry pic of Rabbit running through the Sage at Manzanar...for sometime...Manzanar is fine place for critter pics...the area has a a Tree Line that one can get to as it's a Park now...have often wondered where along 395 one can walkabout the Sage, and thereabout is a place!...I dont know how to describe the weather!...the desert clouds specifically...it was hot....or how to express the dry desolation of Death Valley...was very glad for the few rain sprinkles at Tioga Pass...and even a few snow flakes...additions to this report as things come to mind..and pics and clips!