Abstract
The night was dark and the star-filled autumn sky twinkled with awesome beauty. I was slowly drifting into a dreamy sleep, sung in my sleeping-bag. Serenaded by such night denizens as the barred and great horned owls, and the lonely call of coyotes, it was a night that fond memories are made of. Suddenly, my meditation was broken - a new sound was added to the night symphony. A creature approached and it was headed in my direction! The noise was slow and awkward and it shuffled as it walked through the newly fallen leaves. I was pretty sure I knew what it was, but aimed my flashlight anyway.