When people find out I lived in California for a time, they often ask the question, “Did you ever see someone famous?”
Now, California is a BIG state and the chance of seeing someone famous is slim- unless you live near LA. I was lucky enough to have lived in the heart of Southern California and spent a lot of my time working in and visiting LA.
And, yes, I have seen some famous people.
I once rode and elevator with the Beach Boys (the new Beach Boys- with John Stamos- if you can call that The Beach Boys) in Long Beach.
I was introduced to Sidney Poitier at lunch in Beverly Hills.
I also strolled down the street behind Michael McKean (Lavern and Shirley’s neighbor, lead singer of Spinal Tap) while shopping in Santa Monica.
These are a few of the most notable celebrity sightings I could add to a short personal resume of my own famous encounters.
However, the recent rise in coyote sightings around the Waukesha County area has reminded me of my most memorable celebrity sighting…
Coyotes were no big surprise in our neighborhood in California. They would come out of the hills and valleys at night in search of snacks throughout our town (little furry ones were their favorites).
It was something you needed to be aware of when you walked your dogs late at night or early in the morning. A single coyote (I have been told) would not usually approach a person walking a dog- they were too timid. However, a pack would consider it, and Fido makes a great meal for a gaggle of hungry coyotes.
I had heard them at night, howling and yipping, and had seen them in the early morning, slinking along fence lines, searching for treats.
It was usually kind of un-nerving to see them around.
Early one Sunday morning, my wife decided to take a brisk walk down to the lake. We decided against bringing the hors d’ oeuvres- I mean dogs- because of the chance we may encounter a coyote.
It was eerily quiet outside and a light fog was hanging low throughout the area. Most people weren’t up yet and the neighborhood was still.
As we rounded our block (now a whole 30 seconds into our walk) I noticed something ahead in the fog. Through the mist we could just make out the form of a dog and figured someone must be out enjoying the morning with their pet.
As it drew closer, we noticed something was missing from the equation- an owner.
We both stopped dead in our tracks. The form was beginning to take shape now, and it was beginning to look a lot like a coyote.
Now only a few yards away, it was easy to tell this was no house pet.
A lot of things began to go through my mind.
First, I am a much faster runner than my wife. I contemplated a dead run for the safety of home, but what kind of husband leaves his wife to fend off a wild animal by herself?
An alive one.
And I always say, someone has to live to tell the story.
I’m kidding.
The next thing to race through my mind was my extensive knowledge of wildlife facts.
I’m kidding again.
I couldn’t remember if you were supposed to run from coyotes and not bears or from mountain lions and not badgers or what.
There I stood, face to face with danger, and I didn’t know what to do. This coyote wasn’t timid like it was supposed to be.
And that’s when we noticed this wasn’t a coyote.
This was MUCH bigger.
This- was a wolf.
I quickly began trying to recall my knowledge of wolves-
Grey wolves are highly social animals living within packs. Each pack comprises two to thirty-six individuals, depending upon habitat and abundance of prey. The territory of a pack ranges from 130 to 13,000 square kilometers, and it is defended against intruders. Only dominant wolves reproduce. A wolf pair will mate 1-2 times a day for 2 weeks. The gestation period is 9 weeks. The female gives birth to 3-10 young in an excavated underground den. The sightless whelps are helpless and must be fed for 6-8 weeks. An adult will either bring food to the young or regurgitate it if the food must be carried over long distances. The youngsters spend the first few months of their life in the den. Young wolves are lucky to survive; the mortality of pups is greater than sixty percent.
Yep, kidding again.
I had nothing on wolves in my brain files. This was new territory for me- Monica as well. All we knew was that it was big, looked mean, and was within 10 yards of us. Each second that passed brought this beast closer and closer to us.
I had no idea what to do next…
Now, a good story teller will leave readers hanging on until next week at this point in the story. And since I hope to someday be a good story teller, that’s exactly what I am going to do.
Just like the Spiderman comics- be sure to check in next time to see the fate of our two city dwellers as they face the chilling, killing machine
