I saw a coyote Wednesday

I saw a coyote loping across the golf course in Carter Lake Wednesday, heading south. It looked pretty healthy and graceful. It seemed to glide across the ground, lightly touching down rhythmically, launching itself forward with the slightest of effort. I've seen foxes and geese there and hawks and bald eagles, and moles and possums, squirrels, rabbits, large carp washed up along the shoreline after a fish-kill, and even a horse on #17 fairway once, but never a coyote. We managed to start at about 2 pm as the snow/rain waned and finally ended; we were able to play 13 holes, and by the time we finished the sun was shining and setting fast. Today, it is snowing heavily. I'm glad we were able to play what might be our last round of 2015.* * * * * * * * * I've been thinking of creating my first annual Dickhead of the Year Award. Dick Cheney is always a strong possibility because of his namesake and his status as a war criminal. Other candidates are Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. Donald Trump is the strong front runner at the moment bolstered by his "Hillary got schlonged" comment. "When I said Hillary got 'schlonged', that wasn't a sexual thing. It's the same as saying 'She got bitch slapped,' or 'She got f***** in the a**'," Donald Trump explained. "She's just a big pussy. She can suck my d*** and then go f*** herself. It's not sexual. That's just New York." The next day, Donald Trump responded to Hillary Clinton's charge that he uses too much sexually charged language: "In the spirit of Christmas, I'd just like to say to Hillary: ho, ho, ho." Carly Fiorina could have been a strong contender, but she has faded to the point where she is barely visible. Chris Christie could surge if he punches out a 5 year girl, but it would have to captured on camera. * * * * * * * * I went to the Bernie Sanders rally the other night at Iowa Western Community College. Very impressive guy. There is a great deal of overlap in his positions and mine. And I've always appreciated that he routinely shows up union rallies to support workers all over the country. Almost got a handshake. Today is one of those rare days when I wish I was an Iowan so I could caucus for him! I like how he, toward the end of his speech, would puff out his cheeks and exhale, preparing for the next topic in his speech. The guy's got stamina. * * * * * * * * * * * Dec. 21 was my 65th birthday. I share this birthday with Jane Fonda, Joe Paterno, Joseph Stalin, Phil Donahue, and Frank Zappa, and my great nephew Anthony III, to name a few. That we were all born on the shortest day of the year, the first day of winter, the winter Solstice, with all its ancient and Druidic, pagan, and festival notions, always struck me as a nice coincidence. All these associations give it a special flavor -- I'm sure that somewhere in the distant past, various vicious tortures and sacrificial killings of goats, dogs, snakes, servants, and slaves all made this such a special day. Now it all blends in with the various religious traditions and holidays, Christmas, Hannukuh, Kwanzaa, and Walmart Day. I appreciate the notes here and cards from my family and friends reminding me of the cruel and relentless passage of time on my journey to eternity. For some reason I like sharing this day with Frank Zappa and Jane Fonda the most. Joe Paterno and Joseph Stalin are more of a curiosity. I'm pretty neutral about Phil Donahue. Frank Zappa's band does a nice version of Ravel's Bolero, by the way.