The sun was shining through the leaves as it was raining. It was beautiful. Of course by the time I got the camera, everything changed.

I love coyotes! Of course I don't have chickens, sheep, calves, small dogs, cats, etc., so it's far easier for me to "love" the 'yotes. One-on-one Sam can hold his own and could easily dispatch one, but still, Wes keeps a close watch they are out on the prairie. We don't go looking for trouble. Early spring is the worse time since a pack of coyotes will send a young female out to "lure" a dog into following her back to the pack - where the dog is ambushed and can be ripped to pieces. This happened twice to Harry. Wes saw the yipping, play-bowing, friendly little female making goo-goo eyes at H. She got as close as 20 feet from them! As soon as Wes heard her he called Harry to heel and snapped the lead on his collar. They back-tracked to the truck and drove to a less inhabited area. 99% of the time the coyotes stay out of sight or leave when they see/hear/smell people and dogs, but when it's time for their pups to be born they don't tolerate dogs around. As for the prairie dogs... Thankfully I don't have to deal with them here, but their pestilential cousins, the Richardson's ground squirrels, aka "Dak Rats," were a constant battle on the base. Harry kept them out of our garage and yard so at least my ankles were safe. In the past few weeks my front yard and garden has been attacked by pocket gophers. He's already killed the clematis and I think the Marquee Moon daylight is going down, too. His days are numbered.

The latest puzzle.

I snapped this photo the other day when a small fleet of 7 oyster buy boats cruised the waterway right in front of my house. They belong to hobbyists. I am very envious of the owners of these boats. This area used to be known for its oyster shucking houses. One was within sight of my house until the late 50’s or so. The little island behind the boat formed from mounds and mounds of discarded oyster shells. It used to be totally white and the shells were exposed but conditions in recent years changed and grass has grown. Today wild as well as farm raised oysters are available in nearby waters.