Thank goodness for Livestock Guardian Dogs!  I've been up about an hour, had my first cup of tea.  The world is still mostly sleeping but I let Buddy out for awhile and he'd already come back.  The sun was just starting to really shed light.  Suddenly I hear a coyote howling RIGHT IN MY FRONT YARD!  WOW!  Buddy is running to the front gate and I race with him to open it.  I can see the coyote!  He's looking at the chickens in Prince and Stewie's pen.  He sees me and Bud and starts down the hill.  I see him look over his shoulder and then he shifts into high gear.  By this time I've got the gate open and Buddy is after him.  I didn't know that big old dog could move so fast!  He's not fast enough to catch that wiley coyote though!  

I hear Buddy barking at the bottom of the hill and know the chase is over at our farm fence.  I see two dark shadows in the neighbors field slink away into the tall grass and mesquite bushes.  There is still howling going on.  The rest of the pack still calling and encouraging the two who had to abandon the chicken hunt.  I walk over to check on the chickens.  Stewie comes to see if I have anything good to eat.  I see three of my old hens.  I'm sure the other one will be there when I feed them this morning.  She probably never left the shelter and was blissfully unaware of her eminent demise.  The coyote did not have a chicken in his mouth when he looked over his shoulder so I know the chickens are fine.  He seemed to be giving me a challenge though.  "I got really close!  I'll get one next time!  Just you wait and see!"  Well, as long as Buddy can do his job, Mr. Wiley Coyote, you will have a long wait!