The Nighttime is the Right Time.

I love 4 am. It's just about the deadest part of the morning. Most of the late-nighters have called it quits, and most of the early risers aren't quite out on the road yet. There's always someone going somewhere, but from my window and the masterful view it commands of two freeways and a highway, I can see the cars are sparse. I was standing on my balcony just now, imagining the night was mine. I seemed to be the only one awake, why not take it? I was in the midst of envisioning my armies of the night stretched out before me when an actual denizen of the night came trotting into view. A coyote was daring the bright lights of civilization to hunt in the 50 foot strip of mostly unspoiled land just outside my window. He was hunting in kind of an S-pattern, stopping every now and then to dig something up and crunch it. But he (or she) was crunching pretty loud for an animal that's supposed to be a hunter. Anyway, the cat came out on the porch to see what was up and I shooed him inside, instantly filled with visions of him leaping off the porch to Coyote Doom. I think he's smart enough not to jump off, but I live a life of paranoia. Anyway, he eventually wound his way right in front of me, dared to jump into a close patch of rocks, eat something and dash out. He/she/it was cute in a "I'll savage your hamstrings" kind of way. Not much point to this post, just sharing the experience. Also, I hope to win the award for "best post between 4 and 5 am" with this one. Fingers crossed.