My Idea of Bliss . . .

tanjabrittonwriter 65 Comments

. . . is to spend a morning on the prairie east of town, with a view of our local mountain range in full view. This is especially true after one to two inches of rain have fallen on the region, the temperature is comfortable, the sun shining, and the wind nearly absent.

The earth on this early Thursday is still full of moisture and gently gives under my boots. The air is cool and carries the perfume of wet soil; the grasses, wildflowers, and cacti are poised to burgeon, with some early bloomers leading the way.

Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in the back, with an early blooming wildflower, possibly Colorado Rubber Plant (Hymenoxys richardsonii) in the foreground

I watch a growing wreath of moisture encircle the mountains to the west, where the precipitation assumed the form of snow, now gleaming in the morning light. Towering mounds of granite, they have been beacons for wanderers crossing the plains since time immemorial, with 14,115-foot Pikes Peak surpassing all others.

Pikes Peak topped in white

This evocative landscape is accompanied by its own special soundscape. Our resident Western Meadowlarks (Sturnella neglecta) and Horned Larks (Eremophila alpestris) have been singing for weeks and today I also hear the vocalizations of new arrivals who have migrated from distant lands on wondrous wings after braving the elements and other obstacles: The repetitive stanzas of Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottus), whose scientific name, “polyglot mimic,” reflects that their remarkable repertoire consists of up to 200 (!) different melodies they can memorize and mimic, in addition to human-made noises, such as car engines or honking horns; the stop-and-go sputtering songs of Lark Sparrows (Condestes grammacus) whose distinctive facial patterns suggest a careful beautician who painstakingly applies brush after brush of make-up.

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottus)/Spottdrossel

Lark Sparrow (Condestes grammacus)/Rainammer, with the snow-dusted Rampart Range in the background

In the blend of avian voices I discern a different sound—a bark. Is someone walking their dog? I did not see any other cars in the parking lot, so that’s unlikely. When I round a bend, the answer is in sight: A lone coyote, not 200 yards away. She (my assumption) barks, and yips, and howls briefly. Changes position, then does the same again. She looks me straight in the eyes but does not seem bothered. When she lies down, I sit down on the ground, legs extended, watching her, admiring her, talking to her. I don’t know her story, hope there is no sinister reason for her to be here by herself, but that she is simply enjoying this clement May morning, following our recent life-giving precipitation, without mourning the past or present, or dreading the future. That is true for me, and it’s moments like these that keep the hope alive.

To enlarge a photo, click on it. 

65 thoughts on “My Idea of Bliss . . .”

  2. A sign at the Juneau airport warns coyotes are dangerous. Following extensive instructions such as not to feed them or let your pets near them, they urge one to reports coyote sightings when a coyote is carrying a box labeled “Acme” or dropping an anvil from a hot air balloon or holding a sign such as “detour” or “free bird seed.” I presume your coyote didn’t fit this description. 😁

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  10. Tanja, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your poetic photo essay of your morning walk. You described the wildlife and the natural beauty of your neck of the woods so well that I felt that I was experiencing them myself.

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  12. What a beautiful reflection on the healing power of nature. Your description of the prairie after rain, the songs of returning birds, and that quiet moment with the coyote is deeply moving. It captures a sense of peace and presence that feels rare and precious—thank you for sharing such a soulful glimpse of your idea of bliss.

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  13. Hello Tanja,
    I humbly think I share the same idea of what bliss is☺️
    It is a great blessing to experience healing moments in nature as you have. And oh the lovely views and encounters with wildlife! Thank you for sharing this moment with us.
    Hope all is well with you and your husband.

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  15. Your opening mention of bliss on the prairie makes me wish you could be magically transported to the Blackland Prairie in Texas, which in surviving undeveloped parcels is covered with wildflowers now.

    I looked up the German name for the mockingbird and found that Spott means ‘mockery’ and that Drossel, minus its diminutive ending, is the same as English thrush. The mockingbird is one species that Colorado shares with Texas (and that I also remember from growing up on Long Island).

    Clement is one of those English words that’s much more common in its negative form.

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    • I’m sure I would love the flowers of the Blackland Prairie. Soberingly, Wikipedia tells me that a mere 1% of the original prairie remains.

      Translations of bird names are challenging. Mockingbirds are not thrushes, so the German name is misleading. Often different body parts are emphasized in the two languages, which gets very confusing.

      While the adjective inclement might be used more than clement, I have the impression that clemency is the noun used more frequently.

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      • In the past decade two of the best remaining Blackland Prairie parcels where I’ve photographed fabulous wildflowers have been lost to development. Three more at a now-busy intersection in Pflugerville won’t last long.

        You’re certainly right about the noun clemency. While inclemency is in some dictionaries, I don’t believe I’ve ever come across anyone using the word.

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      • How sad you must be each time you return to “your” prairie only to find the flowers (and countless other co-denizens) gone and replaced by concrete and all the other luggage each of us carries.

        With regard to little use of inclemency, we will have to start to circulate the word.

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      • Considering that inclemency toward preservation and other desirable behaviors seems to be a human trait, inclemency should be in circulation much more. You made a start!

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  18. Thank you for bringing us along to this a very special place. What a lovely time you and Ms. Coyote shared. The bird photos are exquisite and yes, Northern Mockingbirds are joyous and accomplished singers!

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    • Thank you for coming along, Tina. The time with the coyote was very special, she was very charismatic and I felt honored that she tolerated me so close to her.
      I know people can get tired of Mockingbirds when they sing day and night next to their bedroom window. They don’t live that close to us, so I always marvel at their vocal feats.

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  19. What a fabulous wildlife encounter, wonderfully captured in words and images. The coyote is a very special animal, and I totally understand why you felt moved to sit down and speak with her. I love the shot of her howling!

    And what a great place to get away from it all, to escape the madness that seems to assault every day and from every direction.

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    • Thank you, Mr. P. These kind of moments feel like a different kind of reality to the one created by humans. I might be accused of practicing escapism, but without this type of escape, I could not survive this other reality.

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  20. What a beautiful spot… your pictures are amazing. I can understand how just sitting in that environment, reflecting on everything with birds and wild animals as your only companions, could be incredibly grounding. Great post 🙂

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  21. Thanks very much for the CO preview Tanja. We hope to see and hear very many of the same things in just a few days time. Well, maybe besides the coyote being so close. You are surrounded by some very serene sights and sounds; must be fulfilling to just soak it in.

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  22. Hi, Mrs. Tanja-

    I enjoyed reading your blog and inspecting your beautiful photos! This definitely seems like a blissful morning you were able to encounter. How lovely!

    Thank you for taking us along for a taste of this Colorado morn!

    Blessings,

    ~Gavin

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  23. Hi Tanja – you certainly do convey the blissfulness you experienced on the prairie with the distant snowy mountains making their presence felt. The birds are very lovely and the encounter with the healthy and confident coyote is very special.

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    • Thank you, Carol. I’m glad the specialness of this morning came through. It’s a good reminder to try to write posts on the same day or not long after special encounters, when the memory is very fresh. I have been struggling with that.

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  24. Breathtaking vistas! It’s interesting to hear the differences between the coyote’s bark and howl vs. the wolf’s. When you said that the coyote barks, I couldn’t resist going to YouTube and listening. The coyote’s bark and howl is higher pitched, and the wolf does bark but only on occasion and does it mostly when it’s young.

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  25. I was surprised most by your mention of the mockingbird’s arrival in your area. They’re so common here in every month it never occurred to me they might come and go in other parts of the country.

    A friend who lives on Galveston Island began seeing more solitary coyotes than usual, so we did a bit of light research. One of the rangers at the state park there mentioned a couple of possibilities. Young coyotes enter what’s called a dispersal phase, when they have to leave the family group, to establish their own territory and find a mate.

    Another source, the Urban Coyote Research Program, suggests that between one-third and one-half of the animals they’ve studied are solitary, and usually young. That may help to explain your solitary animal, but in any event it was a memorable encounter.

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    • Thank you for your comment, Linda. I guess our mockingbirds don’t like how cold it gets, so they leave us for a while. Their arrival is always welcome as spring usually follows on their heels.

      Thank you also for the information about lone coyotes. Most of the ones I see during the day are by themselves and, occasionally, occur as a pair (as opposed to the ones I hear at night, when they seem to be in groups). I always wonder about them but am thankful for the opportunity to spend time together and observe. I love them.

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  26. What an encounter with the coyote! I am amazed – and I envy you for it.

    Here in Germany, we are continuing to have intense discussions about wolves – especially after ‘Dolly,’ the pony of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, was killed by a wolf. It’s a difficult and emotional topic, particularly for shepherds and their flocks (though I’m still not quite sure who’s herding whom in my relationship with my Border Collie „Beam“). However, my spontaneous reaction is not to lower the level of protection for wolves in Europe.

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    • I treasure all my coyote encounters and don’t take them for granted. A few posts ago, following another encounter, I addressed some of my thoughts about people’s right to shoot coyotes, often indiscriminately. In case you are interested:

      Barking Dog

      With regard to wolves, there are similar discussions going on here. They were reintroduced in Colorado after a vote by the public, but farmers and ranchers protest vehemently as some wolves prey on their livestock. It’s a complex problem, and I imagine it’s even more complex in Germany because wolves had been gone for so long.

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  27. Liebe Tanja, was für eine wunderschöne Beschreibung eines Morgens voller stiller Magie! Du beschreibst das Erwachen der Prärie fast wie ein lebendiges Gemälde und schaffst dabei eine Atmosphäre, die fast greifbar ist. Solche Momente sind pure Poesie und eine Erinnerung daran, dass Glück oft in den kleinen, unscheinbaren Dingen liegt: dem Duft nach feuchter Erde, dem leisen Rascheln der Gräser und dem Blick auf den majestätischen Pikes Peak, der stolz über allem thront. Ein Morgen, der das Herz berührt und Kraft für den Tag gibt.

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    • Liebe Rosie,

      das hast Du alles wunderbar auf den Punkt gebracht. Ich lebe für solche Momente und bin unendlich dankbar, wenn sie mir widerfahren.

      Ich wünsche uns weiterhin solche Naturerlebnisse, die die Seele berühren.

      Alles Gute,

      Tanja

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  28. A day to enjoy for sure. Love the description of the Lark Sparrow – perfectly captures those sharp, definitive edges of the facial colors. We definitely have to spend more time in your neck of the woods – seems like every time we are drawn to the area we are strapped with limited time (dog shows, family events etc.). We did get to the Denver/Loveland area late last year for the agility nationals and managed to get some birding in, but not nearly enough. I had to chuckle at the Mockingbird – I’m sure you saw a few of those in your trek through Texas.

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