Howl at the Moon

  Except.... there was no moon.

   I have finally potty trained my dog.  After one year, three hundred potty pads and four bottles of carpet cleaners, I have my dog on a scheduled bathroom routine.  First walk begins at 6:00am.  It took me a whole year to fight the temptations of my snuggly bed to get my lazy ass up and walk my dog before work.  Even my dog would rather settle for the potty pad instead of having to stretch her way from the warm abiss of my comfortor.  This is the time she chooses to take the longest to do her business.  She gets so distracted by smells and different noises.  Right when she is about to assume the potty position, a leaf will fall from a tree or a bird will chirp and there she goes chasing after it. Ugh.
  
   The day had finished and it was about 7:45pm.  The sun had just finished bestowing it's pink and purple colors on the rolling hills of where I live.  I took my dog to the usual spot where she likes to roam and run free.  After being in the house all day, I imagine wanting to do the same thing.  It was dark.  I stood there, in my snuggly PJ's and flip flops in hopes of a successful potty routine but instead I found myself frozen, unable to move and fearing for... my dogs life. 

 Usually my dog isn't quiet during our walks or potty breaks.  She likes to dig, scratch at the grass and yelp with joy. I happened to have my eyes fixed on this woman who was smoking three cigarettes at one time on her patio.  I wasn't paying attention to my dog because I was in total shock of how this woman was relieving her stress.  Three cigs? Really?  I snapped out of my disgust when I realized I couldn't hear my dog.  I turned to see her sitting at the bottom of the hill, sitting up strait, ears up and tail wagging.  She was faintly growling and slightly wining.  I thought maybe she had seen a rabbit or some kind of bug until my eyes adjusted to the darkness. I felt my heart drop to my toes.  Sweat flooded my hands.  There stood a black coyote.  Its tail was low and it had slowly lowered its body in the pounce position.  I could see the green in its eyes from the reflections. It wasn't looking at me.  It was looking at my dog.

  All my energy had left my body.  I had no voice to call for my dog.  Snippets of scenarios played through my head like a slideshow.  The coyote was concentrating on my dog, carefully studying her.  I could hear it begin to growl.  Usually my dog will see another dog or animal and make a run for it.  She is super friendly and loves attention.  She has no idea what fear is.  I was waiting for her to jump at it as if she wanted to let it know she wanted to play.  Her tail was still wagging.  However, she wasn't moving.  She wouldn't move.  I softly snapped my fingers in hopes to get her attention.  She wouldn't look at me.  They were playing the staring game.  It was almost as if my dog was saying " I dare you" to this hideous creature lurking in the bushes.

 I jingled her leash lightly and it seemed to get her attention.  She looked at me and then stood up.  Then the coyote stood up.  I knew this was it.  It was either going to be my dog, or me.  I stood there in total shock thinking of ways to get rid of this coyote.  I thought about all the shows I have seen about suriving wild animal attacks- pfft yeah, all that went out the window real fast.  Once fear sinks in to your blood, it pretty much takes over.  I was alone out there.  If I screamed, I would only scare it and then we would both be dinner.  All I could do was watch.  I was begging God to get this animal away from us. 

 There was a wrestling in the bushes a few minutes after the stare down.  I thought it was a pack of them, coming to finish us.  Thankfully, it was a small dear coming out for a little salt lick.  My dog saw the deer and made a run for it.  The only thing I could do was scream NO, NO.   I immediately looked over at the coyote and it was gone.  The deer must have scared it away.  Either that or it was coming for the deer later for ruining a perfect dinner.  I ran over to my dog, scooped her up and took her inside.  A phone call to my mother and few glasses of wine later I was feeling better.  What seemed like an hour was only about two minutes.  Fear has no time. I do believe I had my angels there with me that night.  I We were protected and I'm thankful.  Some people aren't so lucky.

Since then, we have found a safe place for us to run wild and free.  I also carry a really big, sharpened stick.  Will I know what to do with it if we are face to face with a wild animal again? Probable not.  You never know.
Words of wisdom- never let a person smoking three cigarettes at one time distract you from a seriously dangerous situation!!!