Under siege

It's a beautiful morning here, cool and sunny, and so I left the door open when I took the dog out for his walk, to let the cats out and the fresh air in after a long winter. 

But when we were halfway across the deck -- fortunately the dog was on a leash -- this nasty little fellow sauntered out from underneath.  The dog was frantic, of course, but also desperate to pee, so I couldn't put him back in the house.  So I screamed and waved my arms at the coyote, walked the dog on the other side of the house, and eventually got the cat back inside -- where he'll be staying for a while.

Such an odd thing, to go from a feeling of openness and safety to a feeling of being under siege... Microcosmic echoes of how I suspect much of the country feels after the tragic events of last week...