• toynbee@lemmy.world
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    9 hours ago

    When much younger, I read the Odd Thomas series. In the first or maybe second book of the series, the titular protagonist encounters some coyotes. The protagonist suggests, when being hunted by them, the survival strategy of making loud, sudden and bold movements and sounds to startle the coyotes into fleeing.

    I can’t say whether this would be effective or not, but apparently I took it to heart at the time. Very soon thereafter I was having a nightmare about being chased by coyotes through my dad’s backyard (at the time probably the wildest place I’d been). I took the book’s advice and threw myself forward, yelling. Unfortunately, that was apparently the moment my brain released me from my dream, resulting in me thrusting myself in my then-girlfriend’s then-sleeping face, yelling.

    For what it’s worth, I now would recommend avoiding that approach unless actually imperiled in waking hours.

    edit: Not to diminish the impact of PTSD. My hope was that the ideally humorous story would raise your spirits. Apologies if it did otherwise. However, I laughed at myself several times while typing the above. Hopefully you enjoyed the anecdote, too.

      • toynbee@lemmy.world
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        7 hours ago

        I’m so very glad you laughed!

        It’s an awesome series, or so I felt when I read it. Have you watched the movie? It’s very different, but shares many qualities and is enjoyable to a lesser (IMHO) degree.

        Since I have your attention, you talked about your chicken, and I mentioned my wife, I’ll tell you a much more boring story that is much more meaningful to me:

        In the time when my then-girlfriend was about to become my then-fiance, there was a local vineyard we frequented. I’ve never really been a major wine drinker and she barely drinks at all, but the wine there was exceptionally good and the owner was very personable (and took a liking to us personally). Almost immediately after I proposed, we went to the winery and, unplanned, told the owner of the vineyard of the event.

        The owner was very excited and offered us a sample of some wine they hadn’t released yet, which was also awesome. While we enjoyed the wine and the sights, one of her pets jumped on the table provided. It was … Drum roll … a rooster. Neither of us had really interacted with livestock before, so it was rather a treat and kind of marks the beginning of the engagement for us. I’m not sure if I took any pictures, but my now-wife sure did.

        I wasn’t going to mention the name of the vineyard for fear of doxxing myself, but my comment history already mentions my time in that area and the vineyard is worthy of mention. Unfortunately, their only web presence appears to be Facebook, but here it is:

        https://m.facebook.com/@MountFelix/

        edit: hopefully this works. Subsequent edit: I still can’t get images working in my client, connect.

        • southsamurai@sh.itjust.works
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          2 hours ago

          Yeah, I enjoy the movie a good bit. It has some minor flaws, but they caught the feelof the Odd verse very well.

          And I don’t think any story involving a rooster can be boring. They just don’t allow themselves that luxury lol. If you want, there’s a weekly post on [email protected] (I think that’s the right instance, I’ll check here in a second and edit this if my memory is messing with me) about pets; I semi regularly have stories on there, and most of them are our rooster roostering.

          I can see your story in my head too. Just chilling, enjoying the company of love, some wine and a friendly vintner, and then cock-a-doodle-doo right in your face. Chickens have zero chill in that regard.