Went off on my weekly coastal run last night. The (full) moon had just come over the horizon, and after getting lost and cold last week, I had gloves, a warm hat, and a flashlight and windbreaker in my Camelbak carrier. Closing barn door after… A big storm front moved in and pretty soon, the moon was blocked. Unlike last week, I knew exactly where I was and retraced my route from last Tuesday and saw where I’d taken a wrong turn. Kind of like when I was a diver on the high school swimming team, did a full gainer, and hit the board with both knees. My coach made me go right back and do the dive again. OK the 2nd time.
On the path back down, salamanders were out in force. They’re kind of like dumb, happy mini dinosaurs, taking their time—clomp, clomp, clomp. Nobody wants to eat them; I imagine they’d taste like mush. When I got back to the pub, here was this beautiful little fox on the lawn. Healthy coat, bushy tail, constant awareness.
Happy mini-dinosaurs, beautiful image… in autumn near our forest we use to see salamanders crossing dirt roads before they hibernate. As they secrete a milky poisonous substance from glands in their skin,they don't fear predators and allow themselves to go slowly and cross exposed places, like hedgehogs or tortoises which are also well armed. I love their colours and the way they ''clomp''. On rainy days, at night, our forest road is swarming with frogs, toads and salamanders. We have to drive very slowly and carefully, stopping the car, trying to press them to cross faster… impossible to take salamanders in your hands without gloves… just wait !