Yesterday afternoon, Anne and I walked Puck around the neighborhood. This was the day before trash day, and a neighbor lady was rolling out her buckets while we passed. She explained to us that she was doing this task then, when it was still full light and not waiting until later, because she was afraid of the coyotes that lived in the glen up behind her house. She told us that she had heard them all howling together late the night before. Last night, around midnight, I heard them too. Their cries were eerie, haunting and other worldly. The different calls were distinct, but their number was so great that I soon lost track of one individual from another. This cacophony of coyotes persisted for about fifteen minutes, before their howls died away into the night and I fell asleep again.

Coyotes must be a problem in Maren and David’s neighborhood, what with all of the public advisories on the web. They warn pet owners to mind their cats and small dogs and bring them in at night. They’re eating the cats! They’re eating the dogs! They go on to warn that while coyotes pose little danger to humans, those attacks that have occurred have involved rabid animals.