It’s eight o’clock and already close to 80°F as Cooper and I thread our way into the Llano Estacado prairie east of our settlement. A strong urge to run the cattle and game trails takes hold. It’s been ten days since I last stretched my walking gait into a run. Primal instincts aroused, I fall into an exhilarating rhythm of footsteps and breath. Cooper stays just ahead of me. His leg muscles flex and ripple across his hind quarters with every step. Just as I enjoy trail running and the primeval instincts it stirs, Cooper enjoys prairie vegetation for his stealth mode forays.
One half hour later we pause under our favorite elm. The lively southwesterly winds feel refreshingly cool as they evaporate sweat from body and brow. From our vantage point we survey the terrain and proceed with our trek. Our entourage consists of two Ferruginous Hawks gliding effortlessly against the backdrop of the deep blue New Mexico sky; and, Barn Swallows jetting inches above the prairie ground cover.
© Ilija Lukić 2011
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| Looking For Direction (Cooper) |
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| Great Plains Toad Perch |
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| Primeval Instincts (Cooper) |
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