Coyote Pretty
The dogs got me up at about 6:15 this morning, and I let them out and then wandered off to putter around the house as usual. When I returned to let them in, Libby was standing in the wayback garden, cautiously sniffing something through the fence. I yelled at her a few times, but it was clear there was something worth sniffing and she was going nowhere. I went in search of clothes and when I returned she was still watching the fence but nervously pacing and pooping, not frantically barking as she typically does. I went out to drag her back into the house and rescue the bird/bunny/possum/cat in question. However, when I got close to the fence, I saw a whole lot of silvery brown fur, on an animal with a wolfy head and a body too large to be a fox. A coyote!! In Irving Park! It decided it had had enough attention and ran across the neighbor's yard towards the front. I followed, stopping in the house to grab the phone, but when I got out to the street it was gone. A neighbor saw me searching and asked if I was looking for the coyote, so I at least had independent confirmation that I wasn't hallucinating. I called 911 and reported it, and I really hope it can be rounded up and returned to the woods. The operator was sympathetic to the coyote and did not say any of the fearful and aggressive things I was expecting (especially after the time I reported the stray rottweiler and the operator seemed to think our lives were all in danger).

The best part really was when I told the neighbor about the excitement she'd missed in her yard. Her eyes got VERY big!!
- posted by Diane @ 9:44 AM