While people back home in the Pacific Northwest are battening down the hatches for a storm blowing in off the Pacific, we’re in Tucson wearing sun screen, hats, and bug spray doing some wintertime planting. Which is to say, the menfolk are doing the planting, and I’m overseeing same from the shade of the back patio. In my experience having a third person out doing the plant placement is a recipe for marital dis-harmony. Where Bill wants plants to go and where I want them to go aren’t necessarily the same places, but the real point is that they go somewhere, and I trust we’ll both be happy with the final result.
When we bought this place in 2001, the back backyard was a jungle of overgrown cholla and dead prickly pear. Last year a landscape crew spent six weeks clearing out the mess and creating rock-lined graveled walking paths. It’s beautiful. I have a standard 1500 step lap back there that gets the stepping job done in short order.
But once the weeds and junk plants went away, our cactus garden was short on … well … cactus. So today, we are in the process of rectifying that. In a manner not dissimilar to carrying coals to Newcastle, we are bringing cactus to our cactus garden. Cactus from … well … Home Depot. A previous owner, left a jumble of clay pots out on the back forty. Those are now being deployed to the back garden with baby cactus. By the time I’m doing the laps on Friday, things will be different back there. I can hardly wait.
Our neighborhood here in Tucson has a newsletter. Last spring before we came down here, Bill read the newsletter and told me, “No walking out on the street with the doggies. Too many coyotes. Too many javelina.” My mental response was as follows: Sure there are—right in the middle of Tucson? No way!
But still, in the name of marital harmony and muttering under my breath, I’ve complied, not walking out on the street and leaving the puppies in the interior yard when I go walking in the back. And then, a couple of days ago, while walking out there, I noticed something new—some piles of animal poop that hadn’t been there before.
If you are a dog owner, the relative size of poop becomes important to you. For instance, I can tell you with the voice of experience that trying to flush frozen Irish Wolfhound poop is a sure fire way of needing an emergency visit from the local roto-rooter guy. Cleaning up small poop is one of the real advantages of having small dogs.
So I noticed the poop in the yard. Let’s say it weighed in on the scale of a 80 pound golden retriever. There was some there earlier this week in another spot, and a new set in the original spot this morning. Yes, I know. When I’m out walking, I’m supposed to be thinking creative thoughts. So far that isn’t really working for me.
But back to the poop report. This is larger by far than anything that might have been left behind by the feral tabby cat who was a regular nighttime visitor last year and who divested our yard of the covey of quail who had hung around for more than a decade.
Then yesterday in broad daylight, when we were on our way to take some visitors back to the airport, we passed by a threesome of coyotes nonchalantly strolling through our neighborhood. They were not the least bit concerned that we were driving past them with the windows open and taking photos with our phones. In fact, one of them was so completely unimpressed by our presence that he stopped to … well … take a dump. Right there. In public.
On our way back from the airport, I made Bill stop so the resident animal poop expert could take a look at what was there. I can tell you that fresh coyote poop is much smaller than the golden retriever-sized poop in our backyard.
I don’t know what’s hanging out in our backyard after the sun goes down, but whatever it is, I don’t want to tangle with it. I won’t be prowling around out there in the dark, and neither will the puppies.
Yesterday evening, after seeing the coyotes out on the street, we came home and something entirely untoward happened. I told Bill he was absolutely right when he said I shouldn’t take the dogs walking out on the street. Yes, I came right out and said those very difficult words: You were right and I was wrong.
Bill opened his computer and marked it on his calendar as a red-letter day.
Believe me, that’s something that hardly ever happens!
I have a friend in Sun City West who posted photos of coyotes jumping up on the cement block fence most of you have around your back yard. The fences are at least 8′ high I think, but the coyotes had no trouble getting up there. I’d keep patio doors closed if I were you.
There are coyotes in my area in CT, but none have come close to my house as far as I know. The bear is another story.
Sometimes they poop at my brother’s front door in Scottsdale, about 1/2 mile from the Poisoned Pen
Cacti sound delightful. Night visitors not so much. We have a plethora of ‘yotes and sometimes the scat is pretty big. Of course ours are the eastern version, much larger than in the west. I hate it when I see that they have been in the yard. We have small doggies too.
My son and his family was recently transferred from Chicago to Chandler and they are absolutely fascinated with the dessert and wildlife in Arizona.
Sounds like you need a critter cam of some kind that you can monitor or play back. Bet you would be surprised to see what goes on after dark. It might be a fun thing to do, just because you can.
I second the critter cam. You need to find out what that monster is and the footage should be fascinating. A cat that big would be terrifying. It is bad enough to have coyotes around!!! I hope it is a friendly and agile oversized dog hopping into your back yard. Do you babies have to hold it all night now? Let us know.
How mean of him to literally mark it on his calendar, but it is a once in a lifetime event, after all.
When my daughter and her family lived in Arizona (west of Scottsdale) they lost numerous cats to the local predators. No such problem in Bellevue–our cats all grew old and slow and were run over by cars.
Puma poo? Seriously, big cats are becoming more and more displaced from their natural habitats, and with the droughts they are more common in residential neighborhoods. And I can tell you, being the domestic cat poo expert, some of the deposits my own cat makes would make a toddler envious!
I laughed most about the plantings. Hubby and I do not agree where things should go either. Although he is coming around to the idea of seasonal color and it’s importance in a well balanced garden!
My mom had a sensor light but up in the back yard so it would scare away nighttime critters. Not sure it would scare away your brazen coyotes though.
I can tell you there are javalina, coyotes and occasional Wildcats in the Broadway/Craycroft area.
I live out in Tucson Estates and had a bobcat mark my patio door as part of his territory. He backed right up and sprayed it. It’s a covered porch and up four steps from ground level. I have coyotes, javelina, bobcats and a mountain lion once in a while strolls through. Needless to say, I don’t venture out much after dark without carrying a weapon and a very large walking stick.
we get Javalinas in my apartment complex at Broadway and Pantano. they come in and eat acorns of our oak trees.
My husband has never had a chance to mark a Red Letter Day. 46 years I have never had to say those exact words.. I have had to grovel when something goes wrong with one of my ideas.. ( Not Often)
We are in California now missing the rain from Washington state. I remember when we lived Washington I got to dislike the rain now after years in drought we long for rain. We had a Labrador and now we have small. Poodle.YES quite a difference in Poop… have a great week …Jan
I have almost daily experiences with coyotes as I live in the Central California Sierra Nevada foothills. They are very brazen, especially when it comes to our pets. Sadly, they have managed to pick off my last two cats even though there are are plenty of wild rabbits and rodents. I always thought my roof would be a safe haven for my cats. Imagine my surprise at finding two young coyote pups running up my pear tree and onto my roof! So yes, coyotes can climb as well as poop anywhere. Google ‘coyote poop’, click on ‘images’, and be prepared for all sizes, shapes, colors, etc. 🙂
You should have let me know…I live in Oro Valley and have 8 acres of cactus…all kinds. Glad your place is look great now. 🙂
I have lots of deer around my place. Only saw one coyote so far. Every couple of years quite a few wild turkeys parade through.
Occassionly a gray fox. And lots of snakes.
It would seem that Arizona coyotes are pretty bold.
Grandma I ??You
Jeannie Jackson that wasn’t mean of Bill to mark that red-letter day! Her Bill like my Bill don’t get to hear that statement very often!!! JA I devour your books & am constantly telling anyone that will listen what a terrific author you are! Love all 3 characters! You all are brave living in such close contact with so many “wild” animals. We live in Piedmont area of Virginia in a small town with raccoon, opossum, fox & I have seen a small black bear…. Nothing like you have…