In July 2018 we visited our friend Mike in Del Norte Colorado. A place we learned was our Apache heritage’s old home before they were pushed out by another tribe into New Mexico. We were driving west from Michigan on our way to Denver which made the stop to visit him for 4th of July convenient. Mike told us stories about the local coyotes murderous schemes. Mike has a lovely golden retriever called Willi. When Mike first moved to Colorado he didn’t know that Willi shouldn’t be outside alone at night. Mike’s from Detroit, there are no coyotes in Detroit. One night while Willi was relaxing outside a coyote came calling for him.
Coyotes will send a pretty young female coyote to go coerce a dog to play with her. She will then lure the dog farther and farther from their human’s home. Once the dog is out of sight from the home the pack of coyotes will come in for the kill and eat the dog. In Willi’s case, being a large breed dog, he is was able to hold his own. The coyotes went for his ear and he yelped. Mike heard the dog cry and came out running for him and shooting at the coyotes, he was able to reach Willi before the coyotes were able to make a meal of him. That was the last time Willi stayed out all night, until my brother Ivan stayed with Mike over the summer in his yurt tent.
Later in the summer after my mom and I had already left, one night after a hard day of helping Mike with his plants Ivan cuddled up in bed while Willi slept outside of the tent, he wasn’t allowed inside because Mike didn’t want Willi to make a habit of staying with Ivan. This night Mike was too drunk to call Willi inside so the dog laid outside Ivan’s tent for a few hours. Ivan heard the coyote calling and jumped out of his bed, his dog Scrappy a crazy French bulldog mix began barking. Ivan went outside the tent stark naked and half asleep roaring with an ax ready to fight off the coyotes. The coyotes ran off as quickly as they could up the hill and away from the property never to return.
My mom and I stayed at Mike’s for the week and then drove off to Denver. Ivan stayed and helped Mike for the summer, he thought the experience would be fun and Mike needed help. Mike had two little kittens which were so fun to watch. His little cabin barely fit us and all the stuff we were traveling west with, but we made due for the week and had a lot of fun. He gave us his truck to off road with and we went to his friend’s house to play in the Rio Grande.
We hiked to a place with details about the Apache history of the land. It was an amazing place to explore.
