Coyotes

Last night I heard the coyotes howling. It's a sound I love. A form of night music.
When I was a kid, living in the hills of northern California, I heard coyotes often, however, it was different. A coyote would start up, then another some distance away would join in, and then others. They would continue, and the calls would get closer to each other, until the sounds were coming from the same location. Then they would stop.
I always assumed they were calling up the pack for an evening hunt. I've since heard the pack is pretty much family and stays together.
We often heard coyotes when we lived in New Mexico, and sometimes I would see one or two. They were business-like and fearless, and I was out walking my aging golden retriever. We would stop and eye each other, then go on about our separate business.
In Florida we live in cow country, inland from the coast. The coyotes howl when the evening train rumbles and roars past, sounding its whistle at the road crossings. The coyotes all sound close together, and they are definitely responding to the train, not calling up the pack for a hunt.
I have seldom heard coyotes when camping, but on occasion I have. It's always a magic moment. Oh, I know, I've heard concerns about coyotes being a threat to pets and livestock, and they can be. Urban deer can be a threat to garden plants too. For the most part, coyotes seem to do pretty well eating rodents, rabbits, and whatever. I still think they are magic, just as I do urban deer. When makes them seem magical is the idea these creatures can live so close to human development, and yet maintain enough discrete invisibility to survive. Of course, squirrels and songbirds do the same, but since they're smaller it's less surprising that they get away with it. But deer? And, coyotes?
Maybe they seem magical because they are so wild, even in close proximity to humans. They're not trying to move in, or become adopted. They're wild, living life as they would in the wilderness, accommodating our presence in whatever ways they can. But, they're still wild. Maybe I'm grateful they put me in touch with my love of the outdoors in ways other things don't, except campfires and cooking sourdough over a bed of hot coals.

Campfire Coffee

There's nothing like a good cup of coffee to go with a campfire. Of course, campfire coffee in my experience has usually been pretty strong, sometimes too strong, but always good. My son Jim and I were talking about coffee pots and coffee making systems the other day. He had discovered a system he felt offered advantages superior to using a French Press, and he claimed it made better coffee.

Our discussion got me to thinking about a coffee pot I had years ago. It was Swedish-made, and I bought it in Solvang, a Danish community in the hills near Santa Barbara. The pot was metal, coated with porcelain. It had a ring that sat on the top of the pot, and a cloth bag was fastened around the bottom of the ring. The ideas was that you put the coffee grinds in the cloth bag and suspended the bag inside the pot by placing the ring on top. Boiling water was poured over the grinds, which were then allowed to steep a minute or two. The coffee was excellent. I wish I still had that pot, it would be great for camping.

The pot I like to use camping now is a small, porcelain coffee pot, but without the brewing ring my old Swedish pot had. With this pot, I put the amount of coffee grinds in I think I'll need for the brew strength I want at the time, fill the pot with water less about a half cup than the amount of coffee I want to end up with, then set it on the fire to come to a boil. You have to keep an eye on the pot with this approach. It'll boil over if you don't, and boiling coffee isn't the way to make the best brew anyway. When the coffee just starts to bubble up, I set the pot off the heat and toss in that remaining half cup of cold water to settle the grinds. Like with my Swedish pot, the coffee is great, usually quite strong, and rich with flavor. Of course, it's a good idea to keep those grinds in the bottom of the pot in mind when you pour the remaining cups. In fact, it's likely you'll end up with a few grinds in the bottom of your cup no matter what. No problem, just toss the dregs on the campfire in true John Wayne style. Ever see a western movie when the cowboy actually drank the coffee?

I also use a little pot and camp stove system that boils water in two minutes. The stove uses propane, and it's a very handy outfit. But, to me it just doesn't have the romantic feel of my little porcelain enamel coffee pot. After all, it's not always just about utility, camping equipment should have the right feel to it. That's why you use a campfire in the first place. It's just part of the whole experience, like a great cup of coffee in the outdoors should be. Like reading a good book while sitting in front of a fire is.

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