Saturday, July 10, 2010

I have to admit that there’s something super cool about driving back into my neighborhood when I’ve been gone for a bit. Why? I can’t get enough of the wildlife I encounter. Most sightings take place at or near dusk, after dark or in the wee hours of the morning before sunup. But every once in a while, I’m treated to one in broad daylight.

Turning onto my street on my way back from Laguna late this morning, I spotted what looked like a big—really big—double the normal size—house cat crossing the street up ahead. Now, where I live, there are no cats outside…none…nada, from a quarter of a mile south on up to the hills. Took a bit of getting used to when we moved here as seeing cats roam the neighborhood is such a common occurrence that it makes one not really take notice.

So when I spotted the feline, I knew I wasn’t seeing some ordinary cat. That, and the fact that its legs were about twice the length of a normal cat’s caused me to get excited. What was before me was a bobcat! Love it when I spot them, though that doesn’t happen often enough for my liking.

As I watched, my car rolling closer, though I’d decelerated, it took its time crossing the street. It seemed to be in no hurry or to notice that it was nearing noon. Perhaps it was just turning in from a long night of hunting. Or more likely, it just didn’t give a damn that it was out while it was light or that I had to slow my car. Bobcats are like that—infused with an arrogance that could rival the most stuck-up house cat’s.

I waited for it to go into a neighbor’s yard and then slowly increased my speed so as not to frighten it. I got home, unpacked, did a bit of work and then headed out to run some errands. As my car approached the spot where I’d sighted the bobcat earlier, I was surprised to notice it again, only this time it was hustling back across the street as if keenly aware that it was way past its bedtime.

I hung back and allowed it to pass before heading on, a broad smile on my face. Honestly, if you’ve never seen a bobcat up-close-and-personal, then it’s hard to convey the exhilaration I feel when I get to see one. And I say, “get” because I feel it’s a treat to witness them, roaming my neighborhood. Kind of like spying one of nature’s little secrets.