Rie 2a Outdoors “The wiliest wild aning Earlier, Mary and I had leamed the first Law of the Desert. ““Never Sit down upon even a small cactus unless you have previously pro- grammed your carcass to rise abruptly.” The stimulus is relayed’ instan- taneously through the seat of your pants and is accompanied by a Sharp, penetrating sensation not amenable to procrastination. We had just sat down gingerly under a spreading palo verde tree, luxunant in brilliant yellow bloom when Mary pulled my sleeve. “Hey, isn’t that a coyote coming our way,” she said, pointing off to the right. E The coyote was trotting alertly along, turing his head from side to side. He was up-wind and evidently had not caught our scent. It looked as though he would pass almost directly below us! We sat and watched him. The coyote suddenly stopped in mid-stride with one forepaw _ Taised, his eyes fixed upon a small clump of brittlebush directly ahead. Then he dashed forward but. stopped short of the plant. A rope-like form shot towards the coyote but the coyote drew back ‘swiftly. The “form” was clearly a snake, a dark grey-brown one, perhaps a diamond-backed rattler. “Snake!*” Mary whispered, almost under her breath. The snake quickly coiled with head and tail high. Again the _. coyote leaped foward, falling just short of the reptile. As the snake flashed forward, the coyote danced out of range. The performance was repeated = Tim Zahar TODAY'S | REAL ESTATE COYOTE until the coyote had worked the snake into an open sandy area with no vegetation for shade. By now, the sun was almost directly above and beating down mercilessly. The coyote sat on his haunches, tongue lolling and ears pricked, as he surveyed his intended prey. Whenever the snake attempted to slither into the shade of sur- rounding vegetation, the coyote cut him off by circling and pouncing. In about 20 minutes, the snake had subsided, motionless on the hot sand. The coyote rose and circled him without response. Then a sudden leap and the canid had the snake between his jaws, grasped just back of the head. He shook the reptile vigorously from side to side and then tossed him back on the sand. The snake writhed momentarily before the coyote repeated the attack. But the duel was over and in a minute or two the coyote trotted off with the diamond back trailing from his mouth. “Whewww!” Mary said, expel- ling her pent breath. “Wasn’t that something!” “Tt surely was!” “The coyote was in charge all the way,” Mary exclaimed. “Boy they’re clever!” “Yes, undoubtedly the most adaptable, indomitable, wiliest, cleverest wild animal on the North American scene.” “Smarter than wolves?” “Much smarter. While wolves are steadily losing ground and Arlene Davidsen North America ren CY HAMPSON photo have become extinct, or nearly so, in much of their former range, the coyote has far more than doubled his range in less than a century.” “Don’t we get them in Van- couver now?” “Yes, and in Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tuson, etc. etc. At one time they were confined to a limited region east of the Mississippi and pretty well south of Canada. They were colonizing, southern Ontario by 1919, New York by the 1930’s, Quebec by 1944, New Brunswick by 1958, and had become well established in Nova Scotia by the early 1980’s as well as penetrating "Newfoundland! “They had also crossed the Mississippi to the West Coast and the 49th parallel to the Arctic Gn the West).” “Wow!” 3 “Yes, and all this despite the continuous war waged against them,” TheReview Wednesday, April 1,1992 — A21 EMERGENCY NUMBER 655-4459 5-10025 GALARAN RD. 655-1313 ed Birch Qe eics fi eA ice Easter Ireasures « lea Setse Trollse Lego e Brio e play mobil Excellent ideas for your Easter baskets! 2496 Beacon Ave. — 655-7171 Weekdays: 9:30-5:30 p.m. Sun.: Noon-4:00 p.m. e OFF TIRE SALE Buy one B.F. Goodrich tire at regular price and receive the second tire at half price. GURTON’S GARAGE LTD. TIRE LAND SIDNEY N OKA) oS 2 (A: eC, SS \N Vf Al a Tina is 11 2323 Bevan Ave. 656-3339 The Carrier of the Week REVITALIZING AN OLD LISTING Your home has been on the market for a while, and it’s just not moving. What can you do to inject some extra energy into the listing? First, you should sit down and have a frank talk with your agent. He can give you some good feedback from prospective buyers as well as colleagues who have shown it. Does it look its best? Is is accessible to agents who may need to show it on short notice? Is the price in line with the rest of the market? Have you neutralized any decorating items that my be turning off buyers? Getting your home sold takes a close collaborative effort involving both you and your agent. While it’s important that the property be marketed aggressively, the sellers must do their part to ensure that prospects see a home that is as appealing as it can be. If it hasn’t moved, make sure that you have clear communication with the listing broker so any ideas either of you have can be put into action to create results. If there’s a move in your future, talk to us, Tim or Arlene, at @ 652-5171. NRS Properties Ltd. ee ie KAM NUZ om 14 years old. They are students at Mt. Newton Middle School. Tina’s interests are playing piano and raising Love Birds, and raising — Cockatiels. years old, Tanya is ~ & Tanya’s are skating _ 105 - 2506 Beacon Ave. Review They have been carriers since 1990.