Safe and Sound...

Crystal

I suspect when Crystal made her way back home from the big city (at least 13 miles to the farmhouse) three years ago November 2nd, she encountered many strange and scary things. City and highway traffic could have led to her demise at any point along the trip. Then there was farm machinery, as it was harvest time. But what had to be a surprise for her once she got out into the country were the other animals.

How do I know? Well, when we start a vehicle around here when she's outside, she avoids it, but isn't freaking out or running frantically. I most often find her on the porch, soaking up the sun in one of her favorite chairs. Claudette (her mama), gets closer than I'm comfortable with, so I'll usually get out of the vehicle and shoo her back to the house.

Crystal is the little wild child. While Claudette is ready to come in the house around dusk and remain for the rest of the night, her daughter is a night owl. She won't come in until well after ten o'clock at night. If she stops by for her five o'clock dinner, she wants to go back out - even if it's to hang out on the porch - until right before we go to bed. Then, she can be found on my bed, ready to snuggle until we're both asleep. 

Crystal

That's our usual routine...unless the coyotes start howling like they did last night. I let both the "little girls" stay out while I worked my three hour evening shift at the store. I came home with dinner, so although I checked the porch right before dark (finding no cats), they stayed out while we ate.

Handsome and I like to watch/play Jeopardy after dinner, so we were watching the show, when I heard the coyotes start howling, and they. were. close! Now that the north field is cut, they are free to run without negotiating the cornstalks. Everything is visible to them, so they're on the hunt from treeline to treeline.

I'm never sure how far the little girls range, but Claudette usually pops out of the rockwall in our front yard when I call for her. Sometimes Crystal hangs out in the compass barn in search of mice. But I know that once they hear those 'yotes, they're anxious to come in. Last night was no exception.

Once the coyotes lit up, I immediately got up and went to the front door. All I had to do was turn on the porch light and open the door. Two cats came bolting for the door with all their fur fluffed up...Crystal leading the way. Neither of them wanted anything to do with the nighttime interlopers.

Crystal ran right up the stairs and jumped on my bed, while Claudette preferred to hop on the sofa to be close to Bella. She licked Bella's ear and settled in nearby. They both went for their comfort zones. Safe and sound inside.

Claudette wasn't feeling photogenic after that, but Crystal was more than happy to pose for pictures. They both settled in for the night. After I have my morning coffee and feed them, they'll be ready to venture out again for a while. Until it happens again.

We suspect Miss Carly is about to be in heat, so that may be sooner and closer than any of us likes. Evening air out sessions will be with dogs on leads, a flashlight and at least a whistle to deter any critter that might decide to investigate. I like to coexist with nature whenever possible, but there are limits, so we'll do our non-lethal best to keep dogs, cats and wildlife in their own lane. I'll keep you updated on how that goes.