Chapter Eleven

Off I went…over hill and dale.  Hill and Dale, consists of going over the top of COYOTE Hill and down into the valley by COYOTE Hill.

I kept on keeping on then suddenly I ran into a rank nasty smell——–COYOTE POOP!
And it’s FRESH!

OH! MY! GOODNESS!

Coyotes are in the area!

I sat down to ponder what to do next.  It seemed rather quickly that the sun sat and there I was in the dark!

Alone.

On COYOTE HILL!

With FRESH COYOTE POOP just before my eyes and nose!

What am I going to do!?!?!

Dark came up and swallowed me while I sat there.

I couldn’t decide which way to go or which way to turn.  If the coyote poop was fresh then that means coyotes are here, close by, like right NEXT to me.

While I was sitting there, still as a statue a coyote came trotting up and over the hill.

I about passed out.

Scooting myself under a brush I tried to make myself small, small, small.

The coyote moved on.  Trotting over the little hill looking for food.

Shudder!!!

I was just crawled out from under my safety brush when the family of Raccoons came running by…fast.

As fast as raccoons can run!

One of the raccoons ran right smack dab into me bowling me over.

“Get up dog! Coyotes are coming…four of them.  They are just about here!”

I scrabbled in terror and started running with the raccoons.

We ran and ran and ran finally reaching a place of safety.

We all hid again.

Then there the coyotes were; moving along in a zig-zap fashion sniffing the ground hunting for MICE!

Oh, thank you so much.  Mice are hard to catch, very time consuming, and require lots of concentration.

The raccoons and I huddled together and waited. It wouldn’t do to move around now and draw attention to us…. we are all much bigger than mice and could fill tummies much easier and much fuller.  Just say’n.

We sat there waiting and waiting and waiting.

The night grew darker. And darker.

There wasn’t a moon in the sky and the stars were hidden behind clouds.

“I’m going for help!” the littlest Raccoon announced in a whisper.  “We need help!” with that statement he was gone.

The night wore on.

The coyotes kept right on hunting, moving here and there. Sometimes stopping to chew on a mouse.  We could hear the crunch of little bones and the squelch of teeth…oh! My!

Then the little raccoon was back. And with him—-

YAY! I almost jumped up and out of my hidden spot

A WEAPON!

We all high-fived each other gave our weapon (Oreo) paws up with big smiles on our faces.

Our little hero walked off, with a purposeful stride, heading right toward the coyotes.

We saw the tail raise

BAM! The air around us, the coyotes and our little weapon, Oreo,  turned the air into the most satisfying odor of all skuniness!!!!

We were saved!

The coyotes ran off howling!

We rolled out of our hiding places roaring with laughter!

It was a joyous and wonderful occasion.