Night Sounds
July 17 Oh, what a beautiful sunrise! I love waking up in the badlands more than about anything I can think of. There were night creatures around my tent last night. I knew some of the coyotes were back, but closer. And a little night bird, chirping--chip chee chee chee--for a few hours about 3 am. But the one that worried me was a strange sound: a sort of raspy growly low-throated roar, coming from just around the outcrop from my tent. It wasn't loud and I wasn't scared, but I couldn't quite place the sound. It reminded me a little of the nighthawks one encounters out here. They fly very high, looking for prey and when they spot a suitable morsel, they tuck their wings and hurtle downward in free fall. Just before they attack, they open their wings and the wind rushes under with an unearthy roar that sounds like a nightmare. But it wasn't quite that either. I finally drifted back to sleep for about ½ hour, but the creeping morning light woke me up. At breakfast, I asked if anyone else had heard the odd sound. No one had, but one of the guys who's tent was on the opposite side of the hill from mine got a sheepish look on his face---I don't THINK I snored last night!" ummm. Yeah. Mystery solved. Sound carries a LOOONG way in the night air. Morning was spent, not as I would rather, prospecting again, but instead in front of cameras. The morning light was perfect, and it was only about 90, so they didn't suffer too much. Then, without another trip out to different sites, Jen and I piled in the film crew vehicles and headed back to Bozeman. We slept some on the 5 hour drive, but mostly looked off to the bluffs and planned our next visit. well, ok, there WAS that discussion of digging a new camp outhouse hole because the first one....well, we won't go there. For me, I will be back in the field next week, when I pick up my colleague and head to Malta, for different ages and dinosaurs. I can't wait.
Posted at 07:47AM Jul 21, 2006 by tppeake in General | Comments[0]