Flowers, Coyotes, Glaciers, and Chicks

My one tulip. Isn't it pretty?
I tried to post this morning, but lost my connection so here I am again...I'm with Ragged; Blogger, you can't live with it, can't live without it!

Last night after the kids were in bed and we were settling in for a night of UFC on Spike TV (yippee), Husband walked past the front window and did a double take. There was a coyote in our front yard about 30 yards from the house! Our dogs run loose (except Aurora and Luke) and they didn't see the coyote until after Husband did. He told me to go get his gun (to which I replied, "Go get your own gun!") and he ran to the closet. By the time he got back the dogs had run it off. So he got up at 5 o'clock this morning in an attempt to find the dens.

Coyote's (pronounced Kye-oats 'round here) are not a good thing when you're raising chickens and ducks. They've been hanging around a lot lately. Husband's afraid they're on the prowl. Not something we want to encourage. He had no luck this morning and we heard them on the hill next to our house just before sunset tonight. I have to say, they make me more than a little nervous. At times they can sound like women screaming in the distance or people talking in another room. It's rather unnerving.

Dwarf irises. I love them! One of the flowers from Uncle E and Aunt C's garden.

We took the kids to see Ice Age 2 today. They had a great time. Baby Girl got very into the movie. She laughed loudly, commented loudly, and got concerned in all the right places. #1 Son's interest wasn't held quite as well, but he did exclaim, "Me like the blue crocodile best!" for the entire theater to hear. B.B. Was happy as long as he was being fed. Once we ran out of popcorn, M&M's, and his sippy cup was empty, he was ready to go.

Uncle E and Aunt C brought their son J and another cousin (O.M.) to see the movie too. J and O.M. sat by us and two of Husband's second cousins (or third maybe...I'm not sure...Maybe they're second cousins once removed...) were there so they (The Boys) sat at the other end of the row. Uncle E and Aunt C sat in the row behind us and The Boys' mom sat a few rows in front. To the casual observer it looked like we had 7 kids, ages 13 yrs. To 18 months! And they all loved the movie. I laughed so hard, but I'm not sure if it was because the movie was funny or because the laughter of children is contagious.

Little BIL will be home on leave from the Army this week. He's been in AIT learning to be a cook. He's supposed to teach me to cut up a chicken. Then maybe we can do something with the flock besides chicken pot pie and chicken and noodles! I can't wait to see him. He hasn't been home since Christmas and he used to be by at least once if not twice a week. It's going to be real tough when his leave is over. He's going to South Korea for 18 months. The kids think he hung the moon and stars. They've missed him so much the few months he's been gone, I hate to think how they'll do when he's gone a year and a half! I just hope we get to spend some quality time with him before he heads out again.

Well, it's 8 pm and I've been up since Husband went on his hunting excursion at 5, so I'm going to relax and call it a night. I have to be rested up for tomorrow. I'm taking baby chicks in for Baby Girl's Pre-K class in the morning. That should be fun. I told Mama it may be like the scene in Madagascar..."The Private may not make it." 5, week old chicks...20, three and four year olds! My money's on the Preschoolers!