Holy..

Calimama wrote: So our gardener only speaks Spanish, Antonio leaves his instructions in Spanish for him and pays him when he's home. No biggie. Well today he knocks on my door with a huge smile on his face pointing and talking in rapid Spanish. I figure it can't be TOO serious because this guy is smiling like he just won a million dollars. So I try the nodding/smiling thing until I realize.. darn this guy is saying something that requires an actual response. I have NO clue what he's saying other than dog (or so I thought) and no-go. I gesture to him that I will call DH so he can explain to HIM what he's saying. I take my time going inside, get the phone, call DH, pass the phone over, and wait. The guy is talking super fast, still with that smile on his face, pointing down the canyon area behind our house (because ya know, DH can see through the phone ). Finally he passes it back and DH says, " Get inside the coyotes are strolling the area and are trying to get over our fence." WHAT!? This guy is smiling and there is a coyote trying to eat us for dinner!?? Man, I'd hate to see what he would do if his house was on fire. Anyway I guess he saw me filling up Bella's baby pool and got worried that we'd be some animals snack. Well someone's getting a heck of a tip this month.

ETA: I understand nothing can be done about the coyotes because the animal rights people would have a fit, but I wonder if it would be too much to ask if they would give me their personal number so the next time I see a coyote roaming the street they would come shoo him away with incense or whatever they consider "safe". I'm totally for the preservation of animal habitual area's but come on kids play here. There's got to be SOMETHING they can do to save the coyotes and not have them roaming around playgrounds.

TheOaf66 replied: bueno

MoonMama replied: That is just crazy wow!

gr33n3y3z replied: WoW
I'm glad you called your DH to find out what he was saying to you

luvbug00 replied: that's soo funny! I'm sure he thought it was funny you couldn't understand him. it does get rather funny when trying to translate and people are like

punkeemunkee'smom replied: YOu should have an Animal control officer -actually for Coyotes you should call the game warden-they shouldn't be out during the day! I am glad he warned you! That is pretty odd!

A&A'smommy replied: wow thats crazy I hope they do something so you guys can go back outside and play!!

grapfruit replied:
Yeah, didn't think about that. Coyotes are nocturnal usually....and around here always in season...

HuskerMom replied: That's good he told you about them. I don't know about the coyotes where you're at but the ones here are afraid of people. We've been out on Dh's parents land and come across coyotes and gotten pretty close to them. But they just run away. But it might be different there I don't know.

Calimama replied:
I need to look into that. I was browsing the base's website and it said there are mountain lions and coyotes that are venturing out more and more so to keep your pets inside. We've seen them at night but never during the day. Isn't that a sign they are getting desperate? That scares the crap out of me.

This is what it says:
While exploring Pendleton, be aware of the wild residents (not the ones in camouflage) and give them space. Deer, rabbits, raccoons, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, rattlesnakes and tarantulas all share the hills with Marines, as do lots of other critters so keep all pets leashed and inside. From endangered fairy shrimp in freshwater pools to non-native bison inhabiting the remote areas of base, wildlife is carefully managed and protected to ensure maximum benefit to both the animals and the Marine Corps.

Farelle replied: We daily have red fox sightings in our "neck of the woods" but they never bother us and ALWAYS run away when they see us. I don't think coyotes would be any more aggressive than a fox...unless they were sick or desperate for food.

I would still use caution with your kids though. I wonder if there is anything you can put in your yard to scare them away? Sometimes certain scents are supposed to deter animals. I recall something about.....gross....some kind of animal pee that you can buy to spray in your yard....but I can't remember what it was supposed to scare away. DOH

kit_kats_mom replied: If an animal is out at an odd time (around here I'm thinking of raccoons mainly), the chance is that it's sick. I think the story was on CNN awhile back about the guy that wrestled and killed a rabid bobcat with his bare hands, lives just across the highway from us. I'd be wary.

jcc64 replied: We have coyotes near our house, and though I hear them at night, and am quite sure that two of our cats became dinner for one, I have never actually SEEN one.
About the gardener, I would thank him profusely- maybe even buy him a 6 pack or a bottle of wine. He was probably smiling b/c he felt awkward not being able to make himself understood. I do alot of smiling and nodding with my in-laws, who do pretty much the same, when we're having communication issues. All in law, pretty righteous of him to tip you off.
And Cary, that guy who lives near you should audition for that show, "Man vs Wild". What a macho dude.

Mommy2Isabella replied: Thats a little scary!!

I am one of those prissy scared of wild animal girls. LOL!! Sal had a racoon as a kids so he LOVES THEM. However ... what a great gardener, the ones around here will shoo the animals away, our house backs up to a wetlands preserve ... and if there is a spider web on your porch they will get rid of that for you too ...

Sorry about your experience, I would have FREAKED OUT!! As for not knowing spanish, Im right there with you!