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My name is Chip Jacobs, and I'm a locally based author and journalist with a story to share.

This Tuesday, my fiction debut, Arroyo, was published by Rare Bird Books. The book swirls around a quixotic, solar inventor and his rascally, semi-clairvoyant dog as the landmark structure is erected in 1912 and 1913 across the valley separating western Pasadena and then-unincorporated San Rafael hills. It's a book I feel I was born to write, being a born-and-bred Pasadenan who grew up in the Eaton Canyon area and now resides in Linda Vista. I see the bridge whoever I go, as well as in my dreams.

Arroyo, which I consider a semi-alternative history of the city, brims with little-known facts and secrets. It showcases some of the iconic names from the Progressive Age, including Teddy Roosevelt, Upton Sinclair, Charles Fletcher Lummis & Lillian Busch of Budweiser/Busch Gardens fame. The books delves into fact vs. myth and whether inanimate objects can radiate man's lessor interests; in the process, it asks how well we all know our real destiny.

Vroman's Bookstore is hosting the release party tomorrow evening at 7. Everybody is welcome! Pie 'n Burger is catering the event, and anyone purchasing a book will receive a free burger & fries on us. There will also be beer, wine and, hopefully, a festive spirit celebrating Pasadena's wondrous (though not perfect) past. Former mayor Bill Bogaard will moderate my reading/signing. For more details, check out this link: https://www.vromansbookstore.com/event/chip-jacobs-conversation-former-mayor-pasadena-bill-bogaard-discusses-and-signs-arroyo.

For those unable to make it down to the city's oldest/best bookstore, one that plays a role in my story, here's the Amazon link for the book: https://www.amazon.com/Arroyo-Novel-Chip-Jacobs/dp/1644280280/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Arroyo is available in hardcover, e-book and as a narrated one. You can learn more about it and the reviews/coverage I've garnered in the early going here: https://chipjacobs.com/arroyo/.

Anyone interested in learning more is welcome to contact me @ [email protected]. Here's the book page off my site Thanks for the time. Apologies for unsolicited pitch. Chip Jacobs / www.chipjacobs.com

Yikes. That sounds scary. Are you sure they actually are coyotes? (Because that's abnormally large.)

Part of the problem is that coyotes are not getting consistent negative enforcement in the moment. Calling animal control and having them show up later doesn't make the connection the way it needs to be done. And what exactly do you want animal control to do? Moving or killing them doesn't work. https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/why-killing-coyotes-doesnt-work

Is your husband hazing them when he gets followed? I mean super soaker with vinegar level hazing not just yelling? The only reason not to do that is if they're denning and therefore "escorting him out of the neighborhood" rather stalking. That can be hard to tell. Make sure he isn't turning his back on them either way. That's "ceding territory."

https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/coyote-hazing

https://urbancoyoteinitiative.com/what-to-do-if-you-encounter-a-coyote-while-walking-your-dog/

Some options from the article:

• Yelling and waving your arms while approaching the coyote (This is only STEP 1!!)
  
• Noisemakers: Voice, whistles, air horns, bells, “shaker” cans full of marbles or pennies, pots, lid or pie pans banged together
  
• Projectiles: sticks, small rocks, cans, tennis balls or rubber balls
  
• Other: hoses, super soaker with vinegar water, spray bottles with vinegar water, pepper spray or bear repellent
  
• Some people find pop out umbrellas startle them very well, but your troop may be beyond that.
  
  For your yard, maybe a motion activated sprinkler instead of just the lights? https://www.amazon.com/Orbit-62100-Activated-Sprinkler-Detection/dp/B009F1R0GC
  
  Some folks have had results with putting ammonia around their back yard.
  
  Also, it is important that ALL THE NEIGHBORS consistently haze as well. This seems to be the hardest part. (EDITED: And this education part, not the coming out and trapping part might really be the missing link in our current policies)
  
  I apologize if I'm telling you things you already know, but there are some of our neighbors who have been really teaching the coyotes that we are harmless and to be ignored by scurrying away to call animal control instead of causing a scene. This is probably not you, but I'll hijack your post to spread the word about what I know. Sadly, in the long run that's bad for everyone, especially the coyotes.
  
  But in the mean time, if you're trying to rally local involvement in policy... great! Love a grassroots effort. These are the folks running the planning on this:
  
  https://ww5.cityofpasadena.net/planning/urban-wildlife-management-plan/

Another good one is Sex and Rockets
https://www.amazon.com/Sex-Rockets-Occult-World-Parsons/dp/0922915970

Have you thought of something like this? https://www.amazon.com/Orbit-62100-Activated-Sprinkler-Detection/dp/B009F1R0GC

Since moving here I've waged a war on the Argentine Ant menace. They're an invasive species and insanely aggressive compared to other ants I've had to deal with elsewhere. So here's my WAR STRATEGY™ for anyone else dealing with these awful borg creatures that are invading Pasadena.

I found that those Terro sugar traps just reduced their numbers for a week, apparently Argentine ants are resilient to those, but I did some research and THIS is the only thing I've used that actually seems to do the trick. Sprinkle it in a border around your house. Apparently it works well on this specific breed. It doesn't poison the ants themselves, but when they feed it to their larvae, they excrete it as poison that the ants then eat and feed to the queen, so it takes a little while to kick in, but once it does they lay off for a good while. I guess they don't give the sugar trap stuff to the queen for whatever reason, but I still use those Terro traps to divert their attention from coming inside the house.

As far as things you can do right now, I'd sprinkle diatomaceous earth and/or boric acid around the opening they're coming through while you wait for the other poison to kick in. You'll have to stay diligent because they'll try and find holes in your border but keep it up and they'll eventually peter out and stop. I also discovered that cinnamon is a pet friendly way to interrupt their pheromone trail and they don't like walking on it because it burns. I've sprinkled that around my sink and cabinets. Cinnamon oil also works to an extent but you have to keep reapplying it.

All of this stuff is temporary, but every time they try and get in again I do everything I listed above and they go away for months at a time. Good luck!