I went for a hike at my favorite nature preserve in Dallas this afternoon. It was slightly overcast with a light breeze which is rare this time of year. As I was walking, I passed a mother and her daughter whom I’ve seen here before. I smiled and waved as I saw them coming. The mom quickly told me, “Be careful. We just saw a bobcat in the woods.” I told her that I was glad they were okay and asked exactly where they saw it. I wanted to get a sense of how close this bobcat was.

In this moment, I had a choice to make. I could take the “better safe than sorry” route or continue on my way.