Cody’s Song

I work in my home office with the window open. It could be the coolest of days, but I’d rather bundle up with a sweater and have the fresh air circulate through my office and enjoy the chirps and chattering of busy birds outside.

Occasionally, far-off sirens are heard which in turn prompts the Corgis to congregate and sing out cries, seemingly mimicking the sounds of those sirens.   Corgis can do a good enough job with their impressions, but if you’ve ever heard that song from a hound – there’s no comparison.   My first childhood canine was a noble and loyal Norwegian Elkhound named Taffy. She had the most loveliest of howls. There’s something both beautiful and mournfully sad about it. You can’t help but stop to listen as it can touch your very soul.

This morning, off in the far distance, a siren rang from a fire truck.   As I’m tapping away at the keyboard in front of me, a sound had me at my feet at an instance scurrying towards the window to determine the origin. I would’ve bet all my pennies I was listening to a wolf’s most beautiful and mournful howl melody!   

It’s the way the howl starts, then it crescendos, then a finish. It’s distinct.   

As I hurriedly looked out the window with both excitement and concern – I almost expected to see something unheard of in these parts. I knew it was not the sound of a coyote (which we have our share of) – and there most certainly are no native wolves in this area.

My mouth dropped as I stood paralyzed. Shocked and not ready for the event to end – my mind racing and disappointed not to have a camera at my fingertips to capture Cody with his head cocked back, muzzle pointing up towards the gray skies and howling a most beautiful call.    I was in utter disbelief.    I have never heard him howl like that.   Dockers and Nikita were inside staying out of the cold and wet elements outside, but Cody was out in the yard alone.    Without the two elders there to take over the siren mimicking, he sang his own, instinctual song. I can’t explain it in words, how touched I was as a knot began to form in my throat and my vision started to blur from the moisture welling in my eyes.

I hope to capture Cody’s Song.

Read more about “Why Do Wolves Howl?“