CoyoteWell, it’s official now. Our coyote(s) has/have become a media event. Last night the local CBS affiliate broadcast a portion of their 10p news live from the front of our church building on Mid Cities Blvd. The “minister of a local church” mentioned at the end of this story over on CBS 11’s website is our very own Jim McDoniel who was wired up for an interview that aired during the coyote segment.

You would think this would be a problem I would have encountered sometime in Marble Falls. Working at the church office late at night, it wouldn’t be uncommon at all to see several deer in our parking lot. Of course, we saw deer several times in the Home Depot parking lot in Marble Falls! We did get skunks and armadillos and possums in our backyard a few times, living on that “waterfront property” behind the Post Office. But I never saw or heard any coyotes. No, I have to move to the big city to find that.

Our coyote here, which actually lives not on our church property but in a wooded area to the southwest of us, killed the lady’s dog on Friday. And the buzz that created threatened to impact our Banner Beginning Sunday. We were asked by the city of NRH to distribute flyers and make announcements during services on Sunday, especially after the coyote was spotted in our amphitheater area—right next to our groundbreaking site—Saturday night. The announcements were met with the expected giggles and grins. And I even poked fun (a little) at the situation in my comments during our Fellowship Dinner Sunday night. But it is a serious matter. If that coyote killed one dog and maimed another while the owner was walking them, who knows what it could do to a child? Especially if that child is wandering around our grounds alone at dusk. Like before, during, or after Bible classes on a Wednesday night. Let’s be careful, especially around the west sides of our campus. Let’s keep an eye on our kids.

I’m almost completely unpacked and put up in my office here at the church building. Everything except my autographed Bob Lilly Ring of Honor poster. That’ll probably go up sometime tonight. One of our elders and worship leaders, Gordon Lowry, keeps making fun of my lava lamp. As it turns out, the things in my office are generally the things Carrie-Anne won’t let me display in the house.

Peace,

Allan