Friday, Oct. 5. Skittered in circles today, mostly at home. Fine weather. Heard from a reader named Donna Barstow Cartoons who was concerned for the future of Slacker Coyote. Got me worried, too. A coyote without a pack is like a man/woman without a home. ... It's been a good year for Shiraz grapes in Echo Park, I heard from Heather D'Augustine (Madeleine and I were on our way home from Costco, gas tank low). Perfect sugar and Ph (for the grapes). But Heather and Joe lost half their Kite Hill crop to coyotes, who ate about 100 lbs of low-lying fruit, almost half what they expected to harvest. Coyote enjoys grapes at about 4 in the morning, magic hour for Shiraz. Heather emailed me some details.

First, Donna:

I've been observing coyotes in Silver Lake, Los Feliz & Griffith Park for many years, and I feel sorry for that fellow [Slacker Coyote]. He probably won't be able to find a coyote family after so long alone, and when he has to leave the renovated house he won't be able to hunt as well all by himself. Not to mention all the joy they get from communal activities - they are so pack-ish.

One of my neighbors had a chat with another neighbor who was sobbing as she buried her cat. Some animal had torn the head off. I looked it up, but I don't know if it was a pit bull (we don't have more than one or 2 stray dogs a year around here) a coyote, or some other type animal. Have to ask Greg Randall! In any case, I would be very cautious with cats around him. If you like the cat more, that is.

Heather says:

I’ve been following the coyote discussion on Chicken Corner and just wanted to add that I know of at least one additional source of food for the coyotes this year – our grapes! They ate all the grapes off the bottom rows of our vineyard. We figure they ate at least 100lbs – we got less than half the crop we harvested last year. Next year we’re going to have to tie the bird nets down tight around the bottom and hope it acts as some kind of deterrent.

And by the way – The KPCC show Off-Ramp was present for this year’s harvest. The show that features the D’Augustine Vineyard 2007 harvest is this Saturday (tomorrow) at noon and I believe it will be repeated Sunday evening.