Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Tuesday Twosome

A coyote runs into the bush. Please click to enlarge.


What have I read this past week? Not very much. Newspapers mostly. Stuff on the web. The TV Times in the Edmonton Journal. All worthy pursuits in their own right, but nothing particularly quotable.

I've had two good editing sessions in a row this week. One on Sunday night and again most of yesterday. I'm learning a great many things about writing and editing, chiefly that my first draft is not so great. It's got potential. I'll give it that much right now. But it's fun to work with.

My glorious neighbors, bless their vibrant sound system, like their music. They like it loud. It pounds and that irritates me. In a brilliant moment of fighting fire with fire I fired up my own sound system on the computer.

I like nature and music combined. Here are two lines from the back of Dan Gibson's Solitudes (R) series, Exploring Nature with Music CD called Harmony.

"The musical compositions weave you into the vibrant world of natural sounds, bringing out all the expressive rhythms therein. Music and nature unite, completely, and in perfect balance. "

It covered enough of the contributions from across the street that I could get some work done.

My two sentences are from The Legend of Shallal where the hominids are meeting with the wolf pack leader.

"He turned to the small band of two legs behind him and bared his canines in a smile. They
caught the reflected light of the quarter-moon straight above his head and glowed."

I haven't been lucky enough to get a photo of a wild wolf yet, never mind one smiling. I hope the picture of the coyote will do.

For more, or to find out how to participate, please see the Women of Mystery.

11 comments:

messymimi said...

Among most of the animals, any "smile", or facial expression which involves baring the teeth, is more of a threat than a human smile. So I'm not sure I would like to meet a wolf smiling at me.

It would probably remind me of the song "Never Smile at a Crocodile" from Disney's Peter Pan. I believe the line from the song is "Don't be taken in by his welcome grin, he's imagining how well you'll fit within HIS skin!"

Meanwhile, coyote pictures will do just fine.

the Bag Lady said...

I agree with messymimi - not sure I'd like to see a wolf smiling at me! And you've done well to capture a coyote! I've tried many a time, but the wiley coyote is too fast for me!

Loved your lines, though!

Leah J. Utas said...

Oh Messymimi, I agree completely.
Glad you like the 'yote.

DfBag Lady, they are the wileyest. I've been trying for years to get a good pic of one. This is going to have to do.
And thanks.

Barbara Martin said...

I've seen wolves fairly close up on the frigid winter streets of Edmonton when the hares come in for the city's warmth. They do smile with a quirk of the lips and a twinkle in the eye, though most often I have seen watchful wariness with intelligent eyes that see right through you. I had to stop a mother once from letting her young son go pet the husky dog. The yellow eyes are a giveaway.

Leah J. Utas said...

Oh, yes. The intelligence is apparent. Didn't know about wolves in the city.

Nancy said...

Just catching up on your posts over the last week. The baking looks wonderful. I wish I could bake and not have most of it go to waste, but with a diabetic husband and me with my desire for smaller jeans, baking seems like a lost art. We watched a coyote run across the road yesterday, between traffic, and up a steep hill. He was really pouring it on. We were happy to see him make it safely. I liked your grinning wolf line.

Hilary said...

We've had coyotes in our local park system for years now, and I think I'm the only one in the neighbourhood who has never seen one yet. Maybe I should do more walking at night. Great capture.. and twosome. :)

Reb said...

I like the lines and the photo. It is nice to see a coyote in the wild rather than in my apartment complex's yard! I don't think we have had wolves in the city recently, but the coyotes have been here all summer. They come up the river valley.

Leah J. Utas said...

Thanks, Nancy. Would it help if I ate some of the baking in your honour?

Hilary, good luck spotting a coyote. And thanks.

Reb, thanks. It's good to see them in the wild.

Clare2e said...

Oh yes, I find the coyote more than adequate, thanks : )

Your super positive approach to your &^#(@$U, of course I mean blessed, is very inspiring. Sadly, because I'd like to be super-prolific and speedy, my writing really happens in the iterations of editing passes. Good luck and keep the canines coming!

Leah J. Utas said...

Thanks, Clare. Glad you liked the 'yote.
Good to know the canines are a hit.