A Wild Night

SOMETHING was up in one of our trees last night.



I heard all three dogs barking at about 3am. What was really strange, was that Shilo's bark turned very high-pitched and incessant. She just wouldn't stop. I got up and peered outside, calling to the dogs to be quiet. I couldn't see anything. Sammy and Tripod ran up to me all excited, but Shilo continued to bark non-stop in the vicinity of the cottonwood trees. I couldn't figure it out. I tried to find a flashlight, but none was to be found. I debated calling 911. I knew there was no way I was leaving three kids in the house and going out there to investigate while being 7 months pregnant. (My husband was out of town). I stayed up for a while, trying to get Shilo to quiet down. By this time I figured it wasn't a human intruder, must be some kind of animal and there was nothing I could do, so I went back to bed. At least Shilo was taking a break from barking now and then and I could fall asleep.

At about 5:30 the barking got crazy again. All three dogs were freaking out. I got up and it was just barely starting to get light. I could see that the sprinklers were on, Sammy was whining at the door, Tripod was barking and running from the trees to the house and back again, and Shilo was barking her crazy high-pitched bark from somewhere near the trees. I couldn't see her, and I was worried that she was hurt and getting wet from the sprinklers. She wouldn't come when I called, she wouldn't stop barking. I wondered if I should go out and see if she was ok. Finally, I saw her standing by the trees, getting wet, and barking. I couldn't turn off the sprinklers from the house, and Shilo wouldn't come when I called her. I finally just went back to bed, thinking maybe there was a bear or something up in the tree. I guess, last summer, a bear did come into the yard. I was worried about Shilo, but I wasn't about to put myself and the baby at risk. So, when we all got up at about 7:15, I could see Shilo sitting by the trees, staring up, but not barking.
She stayed there during another set of sprinklers, getting all wet, and she sits there even now. Sometimes she'll get up and walk around the trees, sniffing, looking up. But she won't leave them. I finally went out to check things out when my son went down for a nap. I couldn't see anything. I guess whatever it was must have gone from tree to tree, over to the neighbors and away. Poor, good Shilo. I hope the kids can coax her away when they get home.