Blue Planet Journey

Standing underneath the red fir, about 50 feet off the trail, the coyote stood still.  We were panting, having ridden our bikes up the steep climb to the Twin Falls overlook in the Inyo National Forest.  We stopped, and the coyote remained in place, yellow eyes focused on us. After a full minute, it turned and seemed to saunter away without a care. Caroline, my partner of 30 years, had tears in her eyes. Hands clasped to her chest, she whispered, “She’s such a beautiful animal.” This rare glimpse of a shy and elusive predator was a treat for both of us, and I’m a wildlife biologist. We both felt very lucky to see this animal on its terms, in the wild.   California coyote And so too, of course, was this coyote. Near the California resort town of Mammoth Lakes, it was probably safe from humans, although there were no guarantees. Had we been home, then in northern Utah, any coyote showing its face was not long for this world, given the $50 bounty authorized by Utah's Predato...

  Everyone has had to adapt to the 2020-2021 Covid-19 pandemic. Wearing masks (single or double layers), trying to interpret muffled speech, and avoiding or being avoided by family and friends are all part of this new reality. Thankfully, with vaccination programs well underway, life will soon be a bit more relaxed - and less deadly. However, I am concerned about the stall in the decline of active cases nationwide, the surge in some countries, and those pesky virus variants that may be more transmisible. Our adaptations may continue for the year. One company that has been a boon during the past year (and the stock price increase reflects this) is Zoom . Zoom is a video communications company, and has both a free basic version and a fee-based professional or business version. This means it is available to practically anyone with a device that has a camera and can connect to the Internet. I've used Zoom on a regular basis, for everything from a weekly family visit, to church service...