I was up kind of early today. The light was just starting to breakthrough the evening sky. I went out on my patio, looking out over the ocean. The morning-sky clouds were really pretty. I looked down, and I noticed something running around out of the bushes. Looking closer, I saw it was a kitten. Then, I saw another kitten. Then, another one. Normally, this would make me all kinds of happy. I love nature. I love life. But, where I live, all it did was make me concerned. I kind of wanted to make one of those mouth turned down, sad faces, because I was worried about what is going to happen to those pretty little kittens.
 
I live next to this small field that then looks out over the Pacific Ocean. Once upon a time, there was all kinds of natural activity in that field. There was all kinds of life. Then, it all changed.
 
I'm sure I've told you about this in the past period, but, twenty years ago or so, there used to be this little vegetated area that arose out of the field. Each evening all of the wildlife would come up, as one of my neighbors was putting out food there. First, it would be the raccoons. Then, it would be the skunks. Then, it would be the cats. All happily interacting, giving each other their space. It was a sight! It was really nice. Times changed, however, as it always does, and all of that somehow went away. It's sad, really. I really miss it.
 
Over the last few years, as I've also spoken about, coyotes have really taken over a lot of the landscape in the greater L.A./OC area. There's been babies attacked by coyotes in Huntington and Venice Beach. There's been various attacks in parks. Dogs, cats, and all that have had their life ended due to coyotes. This has certainly been the case in my area. This field that was once alive with life, now I see nothing.
 
There's still a few squirrels running around here and there. But, I guess, that's because they can rapidly climb a tree. But, I haven't seen a raccoon in forever. Haven't smelled a skunk in forever. The cats, they’re all gone. That was until this morning.
 
I've heard people say stuff like this is their territory… This is the Coyotes territory, We just invaded it. Thus, they should be the ones that can do whatever they want. I call all kinds of bullshit on that. You know, yeah, maybe we have invaded nature's territory. But, we live in the reality of this reality. Man, humankind, has taken over everything. We own it. Maybe once upon a time, in the long ago and the far-far away, this was coyote territory. But, that is not the case anymore. Or is it???
 
I've seen this a lot in life. How one dominant person, one dominant entity, one dominant species comes in and just kills off all that was before. Sure, I get it. I'm not foolish. That's life. Again, the reality of reality. But, that never makes what is taking place right or okay.  And, when one species is just destroying another, either for fun or just so it can eat, there's all kinds of badness born out of that. Mostly, if nothing else, it takes away the vastness of a landscape.
 
Now me, as a lover of cats, and as a lover of all wildlife, I'm not a fan of people that let their cats out to run the streets, because they always end up dying way too soon. And, you know, feral cats, and all of that… It's really kind of sad, because then they have to fight for their food throughout their entire life. It's not like a cat that happily lives inside a home where they’re always well loved, well cared for, well fed, and all of that kind of good stuff. That's really what their lives should be. At least so I believe.
 
This being said, when they're out there, and particularly when they're kittens, there's just such an essence of life that they give off. You really see the beauty of nature. Even though, yes, they are a domesticated animal and they are running wild. Nonetheless, you just see the natural beauty in all of that. For example, when these little kittens were playing; running out of the bush, and then running back into it. It’s just beautiful.
 
They're young. I truly hope they have a chance to live a long and happy life. Yeah, the coyotes have taken over the world. But, there's something just really sad in the fact that they are probably going to eat those kittens very soon.
 
I've spoken about this in the past, as well. But, there's been a few times, when the coyotes were invading this area, that I was able to yell at them or clap my hands or something when they were attacking a cat, and you could hear the cat screeching. The shock of the noise actually made the coyotes stop, at least for a second. Thus, giving the cat a second to get away. But, after that, I never heard or saw that cat again. So, I don't know how long it really got to live. …Even if for that second more, it got to live a little bit longer. I was happy to provide it with that miracle.
 
My locale coyotes no longer respond to my claps or yells anymore. They’ve taken over. There are so many now.
 
I wish I could do something for those kittens. But, I do not know what it is??? Welcome to life.