When Humans Shelter-in-Place

When the shelter-in-place order came, I wondered how long it was going to take for nature to respond to the lessened human activity outdoors. It definitely didn't take long. Earlier today, a friend texted about having deer in her backyard, something she's never seen in the five years of living in her house. Then, when Ado and I were crossing the hill on our afternoon walk, I saw what I thought was a coyote at the bottom of the hill. I hurried home with Ado, grabbed my camera, and went back out to see if I could get some photos.

As I edged around the patch of taller prairie grass, I saw the coyote. This poor thing looked absolutely awful. So skinny. Much of its hair gone. It favored one of its back legs, too, keeping the paw from touching the ground. Somehow it had managed to find something to eat, most likely a rabbit it had come across in the prairie grasses.


Those eyes!
Though I didn't get to use my new lens to capture photos of the Sandhill Cranes, I had the opportunity to freeze this moment. I hope this loner finds a warm, safe shelter of its own, and food to keep it going.

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