Saw a wolf yesterday.  Cool.  And he saw me.  We were just ten feet apart.

But I was in my car…..

I was on the other island driving over to the regional airport to pick up guests arriving on the 2:00 flight.  I was off the logging road but just a mile or so onto the pavement on the road heading for the ferry.  No houses for miles.  No side roads, either.  I came around a corner and there was what seemed like a big dog loping down the middle of the road.  I slowed a bit.  He moved to the side but kept moving.  Didn’t turn to look, just kept loping.

As I got closer I recall thinking, “Whoa, he’s a big one!”  I was thinking that this old boy was lost or at least ranging pretty far from home.  And I may have been right…..

But he wasn’t old.  Not at all.  Big, black with golden highlights in his ruff, he sported the long legs and big feet of a significantly wolf-looking dog.  I’d guess he was pushing 200 pounds.  Definitely over 175.

I drew abreast, slowly moving.  He slowed.  We looked at each other.  No fear.  No surprise.  No concerns whatsover.  I am talking about him.  I was quite glad I was in the car.  It was not a wolf-like dog, it was a fully mature, strong, healthy wolf walking on the road like he owned it.  And, for all intents and purposes, he did!

As we were moving at the same pace – which I am sure seemed weird to him –  he made a decision and stopped.  I took it as a hint for me to ‘Keep moving, buddy!  Keep your eyes on the road!’  So, I did.  But I saw him in the rearview mirror head across the road and up into the forest after I had passed.  I guess he figured he had already exposed himself too much.  He was gone in a flash.

It was noon-ish.  It was a paved road (albeit a pretty remote one) and he was out in the open covering territory efficiently.  He was very much in control.  This was not a scurrying animal.  This was a guy who thought he owned the road!

Very neat.