Yesterday was a rest day for my regular workout, so I had to figure out another way to crunch those numbers. I went for a hike with my daughter at an open space preserve, and we saw a coyote again, our second time. Looked to be the same one we saw a couple of weeks back. It was about 50-60 yards away from the path. Its tan color blended well with the dry grass as it sauntered on the hill above us, pausing a couple of times to glance over as we walked parallel to it.

I got nervous for a second when I thought it might approach us, as it stopped to stare as if making the decision to check us out or move on. My daughter was 20 yards ahead of me since she kept walking while I had stopped to take pictures of some dried-out animal poop that caught my attention because of all the dark fur I saw in it.

A couple of years ago, I learned a fun fact that a carnivore’s feces can be identified by the hair content undigested from the animals they eat. I live up in the coastal mountains a few miles south of San Francisco, where we have mountain lions, coyotes, and foxes in our midst. I like to keep an eye out for them and their poop, especially when I’m out on a hike.

I was more in awe than afraid of this beautiful, confident beast. It was just close enough for me to appreciate yet far enough for me to not be alarmed. But if it had decided to come after us, we had nowhere to run, no nearby trees to climb.

It was an easy, gorgeous, sunny day, and neither of us felt threatened. I watched it disappear over the hill then we turned back. We were almost late to pick up the little ones from school.

I do hope to see it again, at the same distance or more, of course.