SANDYCOVE, THE NEW WILD WEST

Tonight when I was starting out on my daily constitutional, walking Sofie, I forgot to bring my stick from the house.  Knowing I had another one in the car, I did run back to get it from there.  What’s the stick for, you ask?  Why, it’s to fight off the coyotes, and all them other varmints which apparently proliferates in them thar’ hills (okay, okay, hillocks) of SCA and surrounding farm land. 

Having lived here a couple of months now, Sofie and I have finally established a couple of favourite walking routes, which we can actually navigate without having to refer to our trusty map of SCA.  Betty Carson (knowledgeable sales agent) high-lighted the through roads on my map with a couple of different colours; bright pink for east/west and lime(ish) green for north/south.  Hopefully, now at least, I can find my way home without having to call out the Mounties.  I’m glad not to have to walk with my rather large map (approx. 17” x 22” (or 43cm x 56cm)) held out in front of me like a small sail.  What a dead give away it is that I’m a Newbie!  People sitting on their porches grin and ask me if I’m lost.  I mention that I’m just trying not to get lost, amid the chuckles and sometimes outright laughter.  Gray haired people are not subtle.

The colour-coded map came about because of a scary walk Sofie and I had when we first moved here to South Park, now known (well, to me), as New Dodge City.  We’d only been here a couple or three days, and I was still unpacking my 1,000 boxes.  It was hot, too, and I figured that we’d head out around 9:00 p.m.ish for a quick one.  Well, that quick one turned into something that lasted about 2 hours (and seemed like a lot longer), and when we finally did make it home, to the safety of Marlin Court, I was pretty sweaty and we were both exhausted!  Some of that sweat was fear-inspired, I have to admit.   That dark, dark, night, we both heaved relieved sighs as I unlocked our door and we dashed into our safe haven, very happy to be home.

So, anyhoo, fending off fearless wildlife is only part of the reason I went back for my stick tonight!  Regretfully, SCA has its share of aggressive dogs and lax, careless owners.  There’s one of those who lives not too far from Marlin Court, on Halibut Drive. 

Surprisingly, the dog in question is a beagle.  I’ve met my fair share of the hound in my over 20 years of being owned by a dog and never met a mean one until now.  This one seems to have been spawned by Rosemary and oh, what a noise issues from his/her snout.  Beagles are about as subtle as a fart in a space suit.  You will ALWAYS know when a beagle lives in the ‘hood.  This one, unfortunately, does not appear to be socialized and the owner tries to keep him/her tied up outside.  The noise which issues forth on regular intervals wakes the zombies up, no prob.  You can practically see the noise waves reverberate between its’ house and the neighbours.  I am really, really, really glad that he/she doesn’t live any closer to me but I can still hear it and when he/she starts baying at me and Sofie as we walk by, I have to wonder why I don’t see the owner trying to shut the mutt up but I don’t.  AND, if only baying every few seconds or so isn’t enough, according to one of my dog walking acquaintances, Sharon, this dog has also been loose on a number of occasions and has attacked her and her small dog, at least twice.  I feel sorry for this poor dog, who’s had the misfortune to end up living with someone who doesn’t appear to care much and hope that he/she will go to a better home in a different environment.  Besides, a tied up dog in New Dodge appears to be an a la carte item, steak on a stake, on the wildlife menu.

There is no lack of stories here in New Dodge (SCA South Park) and most dog walkin’ people are a garrulous lot.  If the weather and mosquito squadrons permit, they are always ready to stop and bend your ear for a while.  Of course, you reciprocate.  Lately, and I have to think it’s because it’s starting to get darker earlier and earlier these days, quite a few of these dog-owned people have been passing on warnings about coyotes owning the streets after dusk.  Immediately, my rather fertile imagination populates New Dodge with hundreds of sinewy forms, stealthily stalking me and Sofie as we leisurely stroll along.  I see the glint of gold eyes, which follow our every foot step.  Winter and early spring, apparently, are the most dangerous of times in New Dodge, as food sources are scarce.  According to one of Marlin Court’s long time residents, there is an abundance of these scavengers, which use the back ways along the green areas and run-off ponds as their habitats and above ground railroads.  I’m not too sure what I’m going to do about letting Sofie out for her bedtime pee during the lean seasons.  How can I stop a flank attack if a coyote decides Sofie will make a great midnight snack?   Apparently, coyotes can run as fast as 40 mph (65 km/h).  What chance would I have outrunning one of those, even on a good day? 

   

                                                                           

Coyotes are not the only scourge of New Dodge, apparently there is an air borne menace, the Flying Death Squad, if you will.  A number of people have filled me in on this gruesome story, which happened last year – a little dog, white in colour (same as Sofie), was staked out in the owner’s front yard.   Next thing ya know, according to eye witnesses, a huge hawk swoops down and plucks the dog from the yard, tether and all.  It managed to hold onto it’s prey and snap the lead, carrying the little white dog off, never to be seen again.  Oh, how my heart ached to hear this one.   This could well be an urban myth, started by someone who has an aversion to dogs being tied up outside, but it does have a ring of reality to it and you can be sure, Sofie will just have to suffer inside, in the air conditioning!

  

                                                     

  

Meanwhile, I’ll just walk softly and carry a big stick!