It's a lot of fun to hear from all of you and I appreciate sharing this whole story. I hope I haven't overplayed the sad side as we explore the whole story with all of it's chapters and all of its joy.
Look at Sandy in the attached pix at one month old. You can tell from her eyes that she cannot see yet. What a difference from the latest pictures as she reaches maturity!
As I woke up this morning, at first light, I began wondering what the scene was at Southwest Wildlife. It's been more than a month now, but I remember the trip down there well.
When we arrived there, after a 12 hour drive, it was 4:30 in the morning. I was beat. So I climbed into the back of the truck and took a snooze. It was night and dark, but not cold because of the monsoon weather. Warm and humid. Gray skies and sprinkling rain in the desert.
Sandy was restless, so I tied her to the side of the truck when we arrived. She had been patient on a cramped trip and I let her out on a long leash.
As I laid there, drifting in and out, considering the trip and Sandy's future, first light began to emerge. A Mexican Grey Wolf, who, as it turns out, is a real instigator, began to howl in a very deep tone. A long guttural note broke the desert silence with a rudeness powerful enough to make me open my eyes and short circuit a dream! Except for one, the animals were silent and minding their own business. But soon they all joined in, one by one, until there was a cacophony of wild response! Us, outside the gate listening, and vocal mayhem inside. They all hear each other and know each other. They all know the game. They are a community of friends and neighbors. They have a conversation. Routine rules the course of events.
During the event, Sandy's ears perked up and the leash reached it's limit. I smiled and began to think we were in the right place. Satisfied and open expression ruled. Lots of powerful animals expressed themselves without reservation. They soon would meet a new friend. Sandy's next chapter was beginning.
Then, as things calmed down and I was about to drift off again, hoping I would not be disturbed, a neighbor approached on her morning walk with her dog. I heard them coming our way. She stopped and didn't want to pass our truck on the narrow road. As I listened she commented to someone else that she could not get by. "What's wrong?" came from a neighbor. "There's a coyote tied up to the side of that truck" she replied. I laughed and struggled to wake up. "Come on by, it's OK", I encouraged. But no way. She was not going to get near that wild thing!
Earlier, Bei Bei and Sandy had dealt with dog politics concerning the only available space in the truck. The console bed. The limited room in a standard cab pickup prompted conflict. Two dogs needing space. Bei Bei sprawled out and basked in the warm night with her pack mates, oblivious to other's needs, as we sped along. Sandy stood, drifted off to sleep, leaning on Liye until her legs tired and she needed to lay down. Hours passed. Not a bit of room left. Patient and interested in the event, trying not to impose on Bei Bei, but failing through exhaustion, Sandy gradually crept into Bei Bei's space as she slumped. Time went on. Eyes drooped. Poor Sandy. Headlights approached and tail lights waned. Then, finally, the intrusion reached it's limit as we sped along in the darkness. Me in a trance. The endless desert. The unchanging night.
BARK!!! SNAP!! Grrrrrrr!!!. Bei Bei jumped to life and reclaimed the space. Up from the dead! I, also reawakened, and probably swerving around in reflexive response, yelled at her to "stop it". Then, with dominance re-established, peace was restored for another two hours or so. Peace returned and sleepy eyes began to re-droop. I searched for tunes on the radio as the endless night persisted. The radio reaching across the vast distance for a voice in the night.
Finally, a sign loomed up. "Las Vegas, 115 miles".
Nevada is an open space. Vast valleys that lead to others of the same design. Black nights. The road threads along endlessly. We were near the half way mark now, and a glow persisted in the southern sky. A glow from a hundred miles away. The night sky usually dominated by the Milky Way, contaminated now by the incredible incandescence of Vegas. Hoover Dam struggling to keep up with the load as the mighty Colorado River poured down the penstocks and forced the turbines! But it too was only a landmark we needed to pass as we marched on toward our goal. Sandy on an adventure she couldn't imagine. Me pondering the sound of a working Cummins. Liye slumped over in an uncomfortable sleep. A whistle from the wind intruding into the cab. The dash lights revealing if anyone was awake besides me. I squirmed a bit and found a new place to grip the wheel. More miles slipped by.
That night was an interesting one. I've found that zoning out and deciding in advance that the trip will be long, is a good method of waiting it out. Soon I'm too busy doing nothing to do something productive. I'm racing the clock with nothing to show for it. The method has worked well in my travels to the other side of the planet, too. I take newspapers and books, but find I've arrived without time to read them. Whenever I see something upside down now, I wonder if it might be better suited on the other side of the planet than simply flipped over to it's right side, here.
When the woman came in the morning and opened up the gate, we entered and went to the office/kitchen/quarantine area. Sandy was in the truck. They showed us around a bit and located a carrier for us to put her in. I leashed her and walked her in. Cautious, she balked a bit and didn't want to be forced. Typical. Patience convinced her to move ahead. As we moved I talked to her and petted her, but she knew something was up. Eventually, she came to the carrier and we coaxed her in. A treat seemed less important to her than before.
All of the time with her and all of the tension surrounding her was coming to a head. I was tired. She walked into the carrier and I shut the metal grid door. As the door slammed, at that very instant, a sense of peace poured over me. The danger was gone. The task was complete. She was safe. We were done. It's hard to describe the immediate relief, even though our friend was behind bars and about to be left behind. We left feeling dazed and empty. Liye cried at the slightest mention of her. For weeks I was unable to tell her story without pause to get my voice back. But we cherish the experience and the joy it brought.
We dropped Sandy off. We spent some time bidding her fair well and decided to head back. Another marathon run and the deed was done. Relief and endless conversation about what a remarkable time it was has been fun. It brings a smile to my face. A brief moment with a random animal from the wild. An experience that could have been had with any one of millions. A remarkable friendship. Maybe so unusual because we simply don't allow it to happen.