Okay - my last post was on Wednesday when I got Jack, the new bird.
Okay - Wednesday and Thursday nights I did the "spirit hayrides" in Cades Cove. Every year the Cades Cove Society puts on these special hayrides to help people better understand about the pioneers that settled that area. I first actually went ON one of the spirit hayrides five years ago. It was so much fun and sooo interesting. Pam, who works with me on the Rampage at DW, asked me the next week if I would consider being a "spirit" the next year. Her husband, Mike, works for the Park Service and was one of the guides on the hayrides. Well - give me an audience and I WILL perform so I said yes.
The next fall came around and sure enough, the person from the park called me and asked me if I would be the spirit at the Methodist church at Cades Cove and talk to the hay riders about religion in the Cove and how important it was to the early settlers. So I did my research and Pam helped me get an "old timey" settler's type dress from the DW wardrobe and I was all set.
I can't begin to tell you how beautiful Cades Cove is. The fields and moutains AND the wild life are just incredible. There is no electricity in the Cove - no electric lights so when the sun goes down - it is DARK and on a clear night, you can see every star in the sky - just incredible.
Now....I am the world's biggest chicken - I told them that I wanted someone to be with me at the church - that I didn't want to stay out there alone. Like I said - I'm chicken.
The first year was uneventful - I did all four nights of the spirit rides - and it was so much fun. Seeing wild deer, turkeys, groundhogs - very common site - bears a rarity, but a possibility.
The second year, as my "partner" and I drove out to the church on the first night, about 1/4 mile before we GOT to the church, the traffic was backed up and.....there was a bear! Oh my! Luckily for me - it did NOT come up by the church, but I was nervous the whole time.
The third year - last year - I only did three nights - getting older here - and the only "wildlife activity" was hearing a small herd of wild pigs go through the back part of the cemetary at the church, and hearing a few coyotes having a sing fest. Oh yeah - and it RAINED and was soooooo COLD.
This year - well - hmmmm - close encounters of the coyote kind....hehehe
This year I only did two nights of the rides - remember - getting older here - and as my partner and I drove out to the church on Wednesday night - I look over in the field and there is a coyote! This is the first one I have ever seen and it was AWESOME! He/she was just trotting through the field on important business. WOW! AWESOME!!!!
Pulled up on the church parking lot, got out of the car, got the propane light that we put in the church, my lantern, the radio, my cape, turned around - and there were two coyotes in the parking lot - just "hanging out".....ooooookkkkk - hmmmm - a little close, but they were not at all aggressive - and they are HUGE. They trotted off into the woods and we went on into the church and got set up.
Now...we get out to the church early, while it is still light to get everything set up and then we wait for the first wagon to come along (there are four total). After we get everything ready, we sit out under this beautiful tree and wait. We are sitting there talking, and I hear this rustle in the leaves behind me, turn around and - Frick and Frack are BACK...hehehe. They are so beautiful - just hanging around. Unfortunately, this tells us that these coyotes have probably been fed by unthinking people and they are hoping for a handout. No handout here - so they go back into the woods and we can now hear other coyotes in the distance, starting a song fest.
I'm not really afraid but if I were out there by myself - I would be totally freaked out! Hehehe.
Inbetween the 3rd and 4th wagons, we are treated to a true coyote seranade - how totally awesome. We just sit and listen - they can't be more than 1/4 mile away from us and it sounds like there are dozens of them, but probably only about 5 or 6. The skies are clear, we can see but not hear the planes overhead, we think we saw a satilite - and then to be blessed to hear the coyote song. We even saw four "shooting stars" - it was an incredible night.
Thursday night, the coyotes are on the prowl again, and this was the night I had my "close encounter".
Being "a spirit", I make my entrance out of the cemetary behind the church....hehehe....oh the theatrics!! My partner goes in the church as soon as we see the wagon lights and starts ringing the church bell (really a nice touch). I was standing at the cemetary gate waiting on the 3rd wagon and as it started up the little rise before the church, Frick and Frack (I'm sure it was the same two that were there before, but after all - they all look alike to me) came out of the woods about 4 feet from me, made eye contact me with, brushed past me, went on into the cemetary and out the back to the field behind it. Oooookay - I still had clean underwear - so I went on the did my little "schpiel" to the hay riders and when they left, I literally had to sit down. My knees were a'knockin'...hehehe.
This is so sad!!!! Because of being fed, these animals don't have the fear of humans that they need. They are not aggressive, but I'm afraid that someone is going to have a heart attack from a "close encounter" and then I don't know what will happen to these beautiful animals. If people would just realize that feeding ANY wild animal is not a gift to that animal - it almost certainly signs their death warrant. Deer that are hand fed by unknowing, unthinking people are easy targets for the poachers that do get into the cove - bears the same way. Leave them alone people - let them be wild - and that we can keep them around to enjoy!!
Saturday, my team "shut the Rampage down" for the season. It is always kind of sad on that last day - and when we walked out at the end of the day, put up the ropes at the main entrance and hung that "Sorry, we are closed for the season" on the rope - it kind of "tugged at my heart" - it always does. Some of my team I probably won't see again. I will miss them sooo much. Sigh.
Today I got an extra hour of sleep because of daylight savings time (and I really needed it). Got up and taught my CCD class, came back home and went back to bed. I am sooooo tired. Now I think I will be able to catch up on some stuff - IF I don't end up having to work DW Nov and Dec.
So - tomorrow starts another week. I hope it is a good one for everyone who visits here....and look for your inner
Peace
