Tracking coyotes

We had a beautiful snowfall this week.  A few schools were closed so my young mother's Bible study was cancelled.  

Allen told me he heard some coyotes during the night.  (Do you pronounce it kai-oh-tee or kai-yote?)

"It'd be a great day to track coyotes with the snow on the ground!" he remarked.

I knew he'd probably rather enjoy hunting than having to go to work.

But he was suggesting that I track them??

I thought it would actually be a great day to get out and take snow pictures!

Ummm.  Are those coyote tracks?  Crossing our bridge?

I sent a picture to Al.

"Yes"

I followed the tracks...but I admit I was scared.

Maybe I should pick up a stick just in case?  To beat them if they attack?  

Would I be brave enough to do that?  Hmmm.

The tracks were on the snow covered path behind our house, toward the brush pile.

I didn't want to get too close so I turned around.

 

 Well, there were tracks over on this side too.  There were 3 coyotes.

 Hard to see the tracks in this picture, but they were there.
Just taking a stroll along the path of our pond.

They crossed this bridge.

Looks like they went across 81.   

 Ice pattern on the lake

I had lost the tracks for awhile, but now here they were again, this time on the north side of the pond.

 They went up to the brush pile. 
Al later told me that they were probably sniffing out bunnies there.

I was sure hoping that they weren't any where close!  I suppose maybe their bellies were full but I kept a look out! 

Seriously, they creep me out!  

(not my photo, obviously.  If I saw one, I'd be on the run!!!  I would not be taking a picture!   Oh wait, they say you shouldn't run.  Just back away nice and easy.  Uh-huh.  Right.  Ha!)

 I was back at our house.  Look!  Tracks here too! 

 Those coyotes had been in OUR back yard!!

Chasing rabbits!

 Even under our deck!  Sort of freaky!

Before going inside, I set out some sunflower seeds for the birds.

I prefer birdie tracks to coyote tracks!

It looks like the coyote was chasing the bunny to our front door!

If the bunny had rung our doorbell, I would have given him refuge!

A safe drive home

Sunday morning, Adam spoke about the Bread of Life.

Christ fed the 5,000 from "2 Lunchables".   

"They ate and were filled, ALL!"

In the wilderness, the Lord had fed the Israelites with manna.  And in our desolate places, He will "feed" us too.

Taste and see that the Lord is good!

We left church after 1st service.  Well, not Adam, of course.  He still had another service to preach.  Jill, Hannah and Sophia needed to be ready to go to the play at 1:00 (it started at 2:00).   Hannah's last play.  They had performed the 2 nights before and also had done it for the elementary and the middle schools.  After lunch, we said our goodbyes to them, but Claire stayed with us.  She would go later with her daddy when he got home from church.

The snow was coming down.  We needed to go before it got worse.

It was a sad parting.  Tears.

We were thankful that the snow plows were busy!

 

A deer jumped across the road in front of us.  Two others turned back.  Hope they all made it safely across!

The barn we look for each trip.

Mister, do you see the No U-Turn sign??

Al had had to drive cautiously the whole day and we were both spent by the time we got to Altoona, and were ready to spend the night rather than get home at 2AM or later.  We had seen a couple cars in the ditches and didn't want to take any chances.  

We checked into the hotel.  With the weather being as it was, we sure didn't need to be told they had no vacancies.

After checking in, we went to KFC nearby.  It isn't the healthiest food, but it sure is good!  Al's mother used to make fried chicken all the time and it is comfort food!  We haven't eaten at one for over a year, and it just seemed like a good night for it.  Our grandkids do not like fried chicken on the bone, but we do!

We watched a couple episodes of HGTV.  We don't have cable so it is always a fun thing to do in a hotel for us!  After a restful night, we were ready to make it rest of the way home.   We saw a couple of cars in the ditches as we went around Des Moines.  Black ice.  By the time we got to Kansas, the snow/ice had turned to rain.

We missed our turn off and ended up doing a little loop through downtown.

There were sure a LOT of pot holes in KC!

Soup bowls were just the thing at Panera for lunch on this cold, wet day.

We were in Kansas

We came across 5 trains between Marion and Newton!

Safely home!  Thank You, Lord!

Home for a while anyway.