Coyote Ugly

I woke up yesterday morning to my little "alarm clocks" (namely Lindey and Lucky) barking their heads off. As Court is in the thick of harvest, he had long left for work. Thinking that he might have snuck home for a quick bite of breakfast and that the dogs recognized his truck pulling in the driveway, I dragged myself out of bed. Court wasn't home but there was definitely a visitor in our yard. A coyote!! I knew we lived in the country and I knew wild animals were around us, I just didn't realize how close. And this coyote was close. He ran through our yard - right where we park our cars - and ran across the street and disappeared in the vineyards. They say coyotes are harmless, unless you are a chicken or some other small animal, but wasn't it just a few months ago that coyotes were hauling off kids from playgrounds in San Francisco?? I guess it is just another reminder that we will have to be vigilant when Bumper is out in the yard playing.