#🐾 coyote tracks

[carrioncoyote]

If you were on Vulture Culture Tumblr in the early 2010's, you might recognize this sweater.

[lacenvs3000w24]

signs in nature🌲🐾

Welcome to this week’s post! For the “free spot” theme of this week, I thought I’d talk a bit about some of the subtle aspects of nature - the hints and clues she gives us about her story as a whole, all while maintaining her exciting traits of mystery and wonder.

I was prompted to choose this topic because of some of the things we’ve been talking about in ZOO 4950 (Lab Studies in Mammalogy). Last week, we bundled up and went out into the Arboretum to talk about tracking. We spotted lots of squirrel tracks, as well as those of a cottontail, a deer, an opossum, and potentially those of a coyote.

left - deer tracks, and a human 👍 ; right - whose little hand do you think this is???

As a little bonus, just to really top it off, we paid a friendly surprise visit to a tree-dwelling porcupine.

photo I took of our porcupine friend in the Arboretum in Guelph

This sparked another sign-oriented conversation, though. We were told about how a porcupine dwelling is simple to spot, essentially because of how nasty these lumbering critters are. Basically, they don’t have a knack for tidying up - they decide on their homestead, which they stay at until it is so overrun with scat that they are forced to relocate. Gross, but also kinda charming, no?

Later in the week, during a little decompressing nature walk by speed river, after a second glance at a tree trunk, I realized I was in beaver territory. there were probably about 3 trees in a 5m radius marked with the teeth etchings of nature’s carpenter.

image sourced from: https://nhgardensolutions.wordpress.com/tag/beaver-damage/

(↑↑↑ real photo credit should go to the artist...a beaver made that!)

These signs may seem like nothing special to someone just passing by. I think it’s fair to say that most people would find it a more special occasion to actually spot one of these critters at work, these these marks and signs. I don’t think I have to do much to convince you all, though, that with a little bit of background information, there’s an entire story to be unraveled.

It can be hard to feel connected to nature in our semi-urban lives, where it seems that most of the things around us - buildings, streets, or (Mother Nature forbid) litter - are exclusively signs of human life.

One tangential point here that I think is really interesting is that nature’s signs are how human beings (and arguably, life across the board) were able to survive in more “rugged” (aka, natural) territories for so long. One of my latest Netflix fixations was a show called Alone, where contestants compete for a cash prize by trying to last the longest alone, in the wild, with only a handful of starting materials. The season I watched took place near Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories. The contestants used tracks, scat, even hours of sunlight, to help them find their next meal.

So, if the elusiveness of the animals is getting you down - during your own travels or during a guided walk, for example - you might not actually have to look much further to extract an engaging narrative from your surroundings, or to catch a glimpse into the unravelling nature tale around you.

Thanks for checking in!! 💚💛

[heatherwitch]

Coyote pup tracks!!!! A first for me 😍🐾

[carrioncoyote]

Making a tiny sketchbook/journal this morning!

[carrioncoyote]

I don't think anyone around me realizes just how exhausted and sad I am.

[carrioncoyote]

Messy journaling about seeing the aurora earlier this month.

[carrioncoyote]

Watched Wicked pt 1 a second time. Spoilerific thoughts under the cut.

I just keep thinking of these things, over and over, on repeat in my head:

The opening is so good. Great use of the overture.

Adding notes from For Good so early on. I got teary every time they popped up.

The REAL SETS. The PRACTICAL EFFECTS. THEY PLANTED THOSE FLOWERS. THEY BUILT THAT TRAIN. THEY BUILT THE WIZARD’S FACE.

I never thought I’d love Fiyero’s character, but now I do. Thanks Jonathan Bailey.

The Ozdust Ballroom scene. How it’s so much slower, sweeter, and much more moving than the stage version. Tears spilled over at that part.

The inclusion of more Animals. I am beyond grateful for it. Dulcibear my beloved.

The extended Defying Gravity sequence, but especially Elphaba hearing every horrible thing ever said to her as she plummets off the tower. I felt that.

This musical has meant so much to me since my teens. It was former close friend and mine’s favorite for a long time (I will never not think of them when I hear For Good). I was able to connect with my mom through it because of her love of the Wizard of Oz (she shared that film with me when I was tiny). The movie’s not perfect, but seeing Wicked adapted so lovingly was… so nice.

I truly expected this movie to be absolute shit, and I’m so glad to be proven wrong. I can’t wait for part two.

[carrioncoyote]

I am so excited to hang this in the kitchen.

Monte Dolack is the artist and he’s painted a bunch of scenes like these. I want them all.

[carrioncoyote]

Happy February 16th to my favorite fucked-up tape recorder shows, lmao

[carrioncoyote]

[carrioncoyote]

Adding shadows to the walls of the cave.

[carrioncoyote]

I got a very nice birthday/Halloween/moving card wanted to keep the paper charms it came with.

[carrioncoyote]

Caitlin Doughty's new video is a prime example of why I don't trust people who "sells human specimens/uses them in junk art because wow I am so dark and artistic and quirky."

[carrioncoyote]

My Covid-concious ass opening windows and putting on a fan when I have company

[carrioncoyote]

Things from the Broadway Revival of Sweeney Todd that I can't stop thinking about:

Annaleigh as Mrs. Lovett. Her bubblyness, her unhinged horniness, her slapstick. Pretending to be a SEAGULL. Utterly stole the show for me.

Josh's performance swaying from soft and tired, to explosively angry, to ill-adjusted awkward dad. I never had a crush on him despite his voice constantly playing in my house, but count me in now.

Also: his SHAKING HANDS and staggering backwards in shock after his first kill, only to chuckle darkly like "holy shit, I really just did that. and it felt great!!" Hahhah yesss.

Pirelli flinging shaving cream around the stage and possibly into the first row of orchestra seats. I wanna sit in the splash zone if I ever get to see this again!

The Beadle's line deliveries. That is all.

The entirety of A Little Priest. Absolutely flawless: the hysterical, breathless laughter, the pun delivery, the silly dance moves. Ending on Lovett and Todd smacking the table with a cleaver and rolling pin so flour is sent flying as the lights go black. Usually the song ends with the characters standing triumphantly together, so I thought this was a VERY nice touch of violence. Like "yup, these two are bloodthirsty idiots!" Possibly my new favorite version of my favorite song.

The couple behind me who was obviously there just for the Stranger Things kid (who was a good Toby, btw) and how they were SO shocked and upset by the Twist Reveal at the end. Welcome to the comedy/tragedy stage genre friends, enjoy the pain!

The ending, GOD THE ENDING. I wanna rewind time and watch Josh and Annaleigh slowly take each others hands and fall through the trap door together again. That was a fucking DELICIOUS way to exit.

I miss the factory whistle! I understand why they didn't include it, but I always liked how jarring it is!

Anyway, I'm being Totally Normal about this production and cannot wait for the cast album. Listening to it won't be enough: I'm gonna put the disc between two slices of rye and eat it.

[carrioncoyote]

Words are hard.