An armadillo was 12 feet away and heading at a determined pace precisely toward me. I held still, but then it was two feet away, and it was quite large and strange and the thought of it walking onto my feet and into my legs--gee. I startled. It stopped and peered up at me as though, what's this? and, where'd she come from?

I don't think an armadillo with its tiny eyes can see much on a sunny day. Its ears though are like soft furry little cups designed to capture sound--and I suspect it has an excellent sense of smell.

Well, the armadillo perhaps decided I was the strange one in the field. It hustled briskly back in the direction from which it came and into the brush. I stood a moment, and returned to stretching. The armadillo showed up again for the next stretch, and just passed me by on the other side, and circled around me into the bamboo.

Then came a great blue heron gliding over the dry brown grasses.