Go, you chicken fat, go away!

I slept a lot yesterday.  So last night I didn't try to go to sleep until 1am.  Even then I heard a mosquito buzzing around, so I couldn't sleep.  I finally got a few hours in and woke up at quarter to five.  It took me over an hour to get ready.  It was 39º out.  A bit cold.  I was having a hard time breathing this morning.  My allergies are still kicking my bum.  I just did one loop again.

Another bad night of sleep.  But it may be due to the fact that my daughter had her baby at 2:30am this morning.  I kept waking up to ask my wife if she did.  I got out late.  Late for me.  6:55am.  I ran to Adobe and saw a kid waiting for the bus.  There was also a mini van parked by him waiting.  I looked over to the Floodway and saw a coyote.  I was going to knock on the window of the van to point it out to them, but they had their window down and were already looking at it.  They wanted to warn me about it, so they were probably surprised when I ran towards it.  I took a couple of pictures, but only one was decent.  I can't remember if I blogged about this or not, but about a week and a half ago, a coyote jumped the fence and killed three of our chickens.  Most of them have started sleeping in the tree.  I think the black one hunkered down in the coop still.  Maria still sleeps by the back door, close to our window.  So, late at night I heard Maria start clucking.  It was the type of clucking when Herbie gets too close to her.  So I immediately jump up and run to the window and pound on it.  I saw something scamper away.  I then ran outside to check on Maria, and luckily she was fine.  I had scared it away before it got her.  My daughter, Julianna, had also heard the commotion from her bedroom above us.  She went to the sunroom and then she was like, "Dad?  There's something dead right there."  Next to the steps was one of our white chickens.  She handed me her phone so I could use the light.  I then went over by the tree where the chickens sleep.  I saw a bunch of black feathers.  I counted the remaining chickens and there was one more missing.  So, that's three and almost four with Maria.  Ever since then, the chickens have been sleeping another branch up and I put Maria in a laundry basket, and she sleeps in the laundry room. 

I did my first loop and was looking for the coyote on the way back.  I suspect it went through the culvert to the south side of Adobe.  I crossed Adobe and couldn't see it anywhere.  I decided to run to the well, cross the Floodway, and head north on the other side of the Floodway.  But then I saw the service ramp and decided to run down it instead.  Once I got to the middle of the Floodway, I stopped to look around.  No coyote.  I was hoping it wasn't brazen enough to jump my fence in the daylight.  I started to run to the other side of the Floodway, but just as I reached that service ramp, I got a phone call.  It was my #1 client, and probably the only person I would stop to take their phone call.  We talked for a while and then I headed home.  Right before I got home I got a call from Krysta Summers, no relation to Tara Summers.  Since she works for my #1 client, I answered.  But I didn't stop running.  She was like, "Do you want me to call you back?"  I was like, "Nah, I'm almost home."  After I got off the phone with her I checked on the chickens.  All present and accounted for.