A Howl in the Night...

   There's all kinds of ways animals talk to each other, and most of us learn some of that stuff in school. Like bees doing a dance back at the hive to let everyone know how far they have to fly to get honey ingredients. And I guess one of the most important reasons animals communicate is to give a danger warning. But what I'm gonna tell you about, right now, goes way past a danger warning.

   It happened a couple years ago in Cape Cod. That's way up in the northeast corner of the USA (for you Wilderness Protectors that live out there in the rest of the world). Anyway, there's this cool scientist guy that's been doing coyote research up there for a lot of years. He puts radio collars on them, tracks where they range, and studies their habits. To do this, he traps them in a wire cage, then sedates them while he checks them over. Before they wake up, he also gives them a free dose of flea and tick stuff. Hey, that's a real problem for wild things these days, especially in summer months.

   Anyway -- like I say -- he had been doing this for years. Knew pretty much every coyote for a hundred miles around. The thing he specialized in most was suburban coyotes. Those are the ones that have adapted to cities and neighborhoods. No kidding. They're all over the place. Which was why Buddy and I almost jumped out of our skin when we heard a howl (seriously!) only a couple seconds after Uncle Joe told us that part...

   Hey -- it was a campfire story, and he was making it a good one. Come to find out, he did that coyote call himself, but what did we know -- it was dark. I even dropped the best smore I ever made and had to roast another marshmallow. Buddy practically choked on his.

   But the actual story is true. Which is why when he told us how this one coyote family had made their home somewhere on the local golf course, and how they just watched people all the time and didn't even run away when somebody got too close...

   Well, that sort of gave me a chill, too. On account of I earn extra money sometimes, helping to pick up golf balls in places they get lost out on the range. Which is also why I had to ask -- right then (I couldn't even wait till he stopped talking) -- if coyotes eat people. If it's one thing about Uncle Joe, he always tells you the truth. No matter how scary it is. So, I'm gonna tell it that way, too.

   Only I'll have to finish tomorrow. On account of this is the longest journal entry I ever made, and Mom's gonna be ticked if I'm late for dinner one more time this week.

   So, later.
      W.K.

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