thread: 2007-01-19 : The Jungle Books
On 2007-01-20, Curly wrote:
I was assigned to trap coyotes a decade and a half ago, on a Nebraska farm. It was a hard winter, and they were taking calves. I was sent out on an ATV trike with leg traps, tent, coffeepot, little plastic whiskey bottles like you get on an airplane, food... and those Jungle Books to pass the time.
On the third night the full moon was so bright I could read by it. I was set-up in a sandy blow-out, hoping it would break the crazy shifting wind that was tossing the tent nylon around noisily. The blue moonlight in the sand crater was like being on the moon. The coyotes started yipping with countless echoes, it was impossible to tell how many there were, or how far away. It went on and on and on. At times I was sure they were jumping against the tent. I beat the frying pan with a spoon, and charged outside. Nobody there.
I got so exhausted I couldn't tell if I was still awake and reading incoherently, or asleep and dreaming nonsense Kipling stories.
Finally, the tent blew over so the noisy flapping stopped. I was so glad for quiet, that I just lay there in the collapse and plunged into a dead-deep sleep.
Late the next morning, I collected all the traps and gave up. Not a single trap was sprung. Not even the trap next to a deer carcass—which they had really chowed-down on.
Back at the farm, I took a long shower & used up all the hot water, which irritated everybody. Still couldn't get warm. Slept all day and generally failed to pull my weight. Forgot to finish the Jungle Books.
