August 3, 2012 Coyotes



Our new benches
sitting in the grove.



5:15 this morning JB let the dogs out.  I heard them barking, and then the most gawd-awful, mournful yowl.  All I could picture was Jesse swiped by a bear or hung up on the barbed wire fence.  I jumped out of bed, slipped on my flip-flops and grabbed my bathrobe.  As I was going out, JB came flying in.  I was going down the driveway when he came out, shirtless but in jeans and his boots carrying the gun.  I knew I couldn't go through the underbrush dressed as I was, so I hurried back in accompanied by that mournful sound.  Just as I hit the door running, JB fired off a round.  Complete silence.  And there came JB and both dogs up the driveway.  It hadn't been Jesse hurt at all, but rather coyotes making a sound I never want to hear again. . .  As soon as the adrenoline stopped pumping, I went back to bed.  JB however was up for the day.

We should have waited until Thursday morning to mow and trim the road. It was a deliciously cool 60. Wednesday morning was already pushing 70 by the time we finally got started about 9:00. The trees and bushes were hugging the road much more closely than in previous years, so it took us four hours instead of two with so much to trim. I drive JB’s Jeep with the trailer in tow for a ways, then stop to get out and trim while JB is mowing. He has to make at least two swipes along all the road, and often three or four. I’m sure I walked the full two miles and JB must have walked at least five. By the time we reached the end of the road, the dogs were acting like they had run ten miles. It was definitely nap time for everyone when we got back home.

I did manage to get the benches primed and then one coat of paint on them after dinner. Also finished trimming the path to the north ridge.


On Thursday JB dusted the trusses, bringing in a ladder for that chore. Then he mowed the loop to the south ridge and down by the tipi and grove. I put a second coat of paint on the benches, cleaned house and did the laundry. Late afternoon we both put up my booth in the grove without the sides for the BBQ on Sunday. No rain or high winds are in the forecast, so we should be good to go.

After dinner we cut two huge, low branches off the tree on the north ridge where I am going to place one of the new benches.  Had to cut the branches up in order to move them.  Hauled some of the smaller pieces back to the cutting pile and will get the rest today.

JB is going Down There this morning to get new brakes on his Jeep and run some errands.  I'm going down tomorrow to shop for groceries.  Then we should be all ready for the BBQ on Sunday.


I check on the Olympics on the internet daily, but don’t miss being able to watch them. Both JB and I prefer the winter Olympics, especially the ice skating. But with both it seems a shame that in the timed competitions someone misses a gold medal by a half a second or less.


We have decided to build a small, three-sided shed for MAX instead of a full 12'X16' garage. Just can’t afford it this year.  (Thank you, once again, Wall Street.)

Thought for the day: The abundant life does not come to those who have had a lot of obstacles removed from their path by others. It develops from within and is rooted in strong mental and moral fiber. William Mather Lewis