First Coyote Sighting

My first coyote sighting began with a squirrel chirping in alarm this morning about 7am.  I've heard that often - mostly when they've spotted my cats looking at them.  But my cats were both napping on the couch this time.  So when they heard the squirrel chirp, they knew it was for some other creature.  They instantly rose on the alert, looked out the window, then ran outside.  Obviously this was something interesting, so I followed their lead.

Coyote!!!  Three of them trotting along. They had called as a pack not more than an hour earlier, before it got light.  I've heard them call many times before, though mostly in the early evening to midnight.  Now I could see them for the first time.  They were darker and bigger than I expected.  I'd been told they're like a small dog on long legs.  But these looked like german shepherds to me.  I've also been told they're solitary, but these three were clearly together. They followed each other on the path and up the hill out of sight.   Not once did they pause and look or smell.

Oh, and for cat-lovers who might be concerned - They ran outside into the screened-in porch.  They weren't in danger of being breakfast.