An Unexpected Christmas Song

When my husband and I arrived home on Christmas Eve, it was almost midnight. The snow was falling, the air was still -- the weather I always hope for on a winter's night. Into this silence I walked with three exuberant dogs and a puppy. The yips stopped me. I was only 100 feet from the house, and the yips and barks seemed to be coming from the field in front of me, or, were they to the east? The chorus grew louder. Growls were added. How many coyotes were there? I envisioned twenty or more. But that's the thing about coyotes. They can throw their voices, and a few can sound like a pack. I wasn't taking chances, and called the dogs to me. We returned to the yard. The yipping subsided. At midnight, the snow was falling, the air was still. It was a silent night.