Coyote

by Lydia Ponce

They are Tricksters all year ‘around. 90291’s unofficial mascot roams free. This article is intended to declare that Coyotes are our relative. The four-legged crafty family member you’ve forgotten about.

How do we find the strength to power through these difficult days? We find it in the medicine as Relatives cross paths to help us. Hummingbirds, raccoons, butterflies and yes, spiders, too, show up in our day to encourage us and to inspire us as medicine. Theirs is more than character, it is their presence as medicine, and they want to gift that to you. They want to help you.

Many West Side residents use the Ring and Next Door Apps to report various coyote sightings. Words of fear and caution fill those tech- no- logic spaces. Coyotes venture out and about from sunset until early morning hours. I’ve witnessed the Coyotes frolic and play, as a dance with the sunset by the Silverlake Reservoir. Over here, all through out the Westside, the Coyotes have been courageous and brave to traverse the concrete land. A land that can’t breathe, clogged with cement. It’s sad how hard the concrete must be to toughen all four paws and all the toe beans.
Coyotes are not a threat unless you leave your fur fam unattended and outside in the night. Are you really surprised that coyotes are everywhere in Venice?

Well, there is one in particular Coyote hanging out- specific area of California Avenue to Linden Avenue and not crossing Lincoln Blvd. I do not know the true route it takes, however at 6:am my Coyote sighting was pretty amazing! It glanced at my two dogs on their leashes. The coyotes saw my two small dogs, both under 17 pounds, as potential meals. Coyote made a millisecond decision, perhaps it was the jackets and sweaters my fur kids wore. The jackets may have caused the coyote to stop viewing my fur babies as a snack. Too much trouble! It kept trotting along and trotted away.

The breeze off the ocean – chilled my ears and sent a message – “Leave the Coyote alone. That’s Jim Morrison. He has reincarnated and returned to Venice.” I laughed. Maybe it was Carol Fondlerier who spoke the message into the wind, or was it Emily Winters? It was a woman’s voice.

Pam Morrison is that you? Jim, who not too long ago found love, humor, and wrote poetry during some of our community’s blessed and extremely artistic days. The Door’s lyrics revered by so many! We sing along to the iconic songs that warm our hearts and we remember. We remember when Venice was filled with music and we remember to dance.

So please report Coyote sightings on the various apps, but don’t cause harm to Jim. He is here in his favored place in all of California.

I believe.