18" h x 9" w

A mature, healthy cougar can cover 23 feet in a single bound, with a vertical jump of approximately 18 feet. He can fall from 65 feet, land on his feet, and come out completely unscathed. With such incredible abilities for moving through rough terrain, it is no wonder this awesome creature is rarely seen. Furthermore, the cougar has learned to stay out of human's sight.

As a geologist, my wife's uncle has seen just a few cougars stay in plain sight upon being detected. These sightings happened in the very remote regions of North America, where contact with humans almost never happens.

I envision in my sculpture "Desert Ghosts" a time in early American history when the early settlers and cougars were still unacquainted, not knowing of each others dangerous natures. The cougar sees the opportunity for a free meal while the pioneer takes a short nap. This is how I imagine a first encounter occurring, without the man even knowing it happened but wondering how his lunch flew off the roasting stick.

Keep an eye out for ghosts among the rocks.