A slow day save for taco night. Before, I was going to go on a nice little hike but Prissy followed me up to the canal trail, meowing the whole way. Halfway up the trail she started getting all freaked out and kept looking behind her and her tail puffed up all ridiculously and everything. She got up to the trail where the coyotes have been hanging out at (and leaving evidence), and seriously growled. Like a small dog but not even as intimidating. Then I had to escort that darn cat back home because otherwise she may have just sat on the trail and actually been vulnerable to an attack. And then I decided that Bosun would see me and start howling if he couldn't come. So I brought him along, though I knew he would definitely limit how far I could go. I actually had to help him up the bank on the opposite side of the canal, it was pathetic. But once he got past that he did surprisingly well and actually was able to negotiate obstacles fairly efficiently. We only went about a fourth a mile in the woods and then went down the elk trail to the canal again.

Taco night...unbelievably crowded. I thought everyone else was already upstairs so got my taco and root beer and headed up. But no one I knew was in sight..luckily a group of people were just leaving so I was able to secure a table..with a small table positioned as a continuation. I called Jodie (how I love my cell phone - I still can't get over this convenience!) and they were on their way. So I ate the taco and was trying desperately to postpone the annhilation of the root beer, knowing people hunting a free table were giving me looks and possibly even cursing. Well, ok, probably not. But I saw these three guys scoping my table and this dude came over and sat down and was like, "hi, I have a group of ten people meeting here...etc. Could you just take one of these smaller tables?" So I explained that I was in fact meeting a group as well and couldn't. They just grabbed a couple of the extra chairs. Luckily Jodie arrived soon after. Then as Samantha was sitting down this totally ferocious black spider all of a sudden appeared on the smaller table. I didn't even see where it came from, it was just like there scuttling across the table. Samantha completely freaked out and Jodie got up and with a non-calculated and impressive kick to the edge of the table sent the spider careening towards the floor - and certain death.

Chelsea missed this episode while getting tacos. We didn't stay long, then went outside to decide on further action and listened to some kids getting yelled at. I invited all to the house as no one had seen the finished product. We talked about lava lamps and ate mint chocolate chip ice cream. Then Tim came in and enthusiastically suggested an attempt at calling a coyote. I was wondering if this was a good idea..having everyone go out on the deck in freezing cold weather with a mere chance of seeing one. But we decided to do it. It was raining/sleeting and Tim got the eerie screams of a half-grown jackrabbit in distress belting out into the frigid air and we sat and waited for around fifteen minutes. No results, but we've decided to do this again..a more serious and longer attempt. The best time will be when a cold front is moving in. A coyote-calling, hot chocolate drinking, holiday celebrating get-together may be in order! Watch the forecast.

Oh, and I'm going to start responding to comments on here directly. Also, please direct any emails to muskratfan@aol.com for now because gmail has gone haywire.