Meep Meep

It's a happy day in our neighbourhood when the corn field that backs on to many of our properties is harvested. It means that all of the coyotes that make it their home in late summer and fall have to find residence somewhere else. Most of us have lost small pets to them at some point or another. Both my neighbour and I lost a cat, and two small dogs have also been gobbled up. Needless to say, our new feline is strictly an indoor cat.

I always assumed (never a good thing, I know) that a coyote looked kind of like a big fox. Arthur never told me otherwise, as he didn't want to scare me. It wasn't until this summer when we were driving down a country road that I saw one trotting along the side of the street. They kind of look like a scraggly dog with a scruffy neck. In fact, they reminded me quite a bit of Wile E. Coyote.

Sadly, ever since I've seen the coyote, all I can think of is a cartoon coyote carrying ACME boxes into the corn field and creating elaborate traps to catch our unsuspecting pets. It makes it a little easier to deal with the fact that our first cat is no longer with us. My daughter, however, doesn't find it therapeutic at all. Once again, the parent-of-the-year committee will be skipping my house.