Kill all marine mammals before they destroy our oceans

I only have a coupla days left to tromp around the hills & ridges of the Bay Area, which is too bad, because the weather's been really good lately. Then it's back to the Old World of Manhattan; I'll miss the redwoods & oaks & bays & madrones & manzanitas & buckeyes &c.

The rains of last week have left the soggy hills disgorging tons of water, creating cascades & waterfalls in the tiniest topographical furrows. The coho salmon run is heavy again in Lagunitas Creek. Lots of ecological grids overlay the areas of human habitation here: deer in the garden, owls in the tree, giant man-eating worms under our feet, and so on. But I always like it when an intrepid or retarded critter strays beyond its habitat. Examples: the humpback whale that checked out the Sacramento River, or the coyote found in Central Park, or the mountain lions that have terrorized vile yuppies in Palo Alto recently, or the sea lion that made its way to the Central Valley.

But it freaks me out a bit, too. You never know if that first coyote is a harbinger of an implacable wave of coyote immigrants who will invade our land, force us to sign unfavorable treaties, and steal our corn & women. I say: shoot the beast to be safe.