Just an update on life in Laineland

Not a lot going on is better than being dead! Laineland is all in 'coast' mode right now. We are just trying to get the kid unit finished up with her school work for the year, get the band concert and the piano judging and recital behind us and that is about all we have on our plates right now.

There was a tad little bit of discord in Laineland recently due to the incredible insensitivity of one set of neighbors who think that their dogs should be allowed to bark from daylight to dark for days at a time and we should just accept it because 'they're dogs and dogs bark!" NO! Dogs do not bark without a reason! Even if that reason is "HELP! I have a stupid owner who never walks me, never trains me, only feeds me and has no clue what being a responsible pet owner means!" that dog has a REASON.
I tried to do the neighborly thing and give them a chance to rectify the situation before I called anyone other than animal control (which would have made my 3rd attempt at calling them). I spoke to the husband and I admit to being a tad irritated and I said, "I thought I'd let you know that your dog is barking his head off since you obviously cannot hear him yourself!" That is an exact quote of what I said. If the man had enough sense to know, he would have realized that the easiest way to make nice with the mad neighbor lady is to shut his dog up! But....instead he wants to know who I am. I tell him. He asks where I live and I called him Darlin' and said I lived right behind him. He said something that sounded like 'alright' and we hung up.
Two minutes later, his WIFE calls back to "handle me." Yeah, that went over real well. I'm not the type to be 'handled' by anyone. I did my best to be calm, cool and collected. I spoke in an even tone. Tried not to get angry at her. She, on the other hand, was irate and screaming at me over the phone. When I told her my dog didn't bark she came back with "For all I know you cut your dog's throat!" I assured her my dog is capable of barking, but she's been trained not to bark and when she does, she is immediately told NO.
The conversation ended with her telling me she wouldn't do anything about her dogs and there wasn't anything I or the sheriff's office COULD do about it. I said 'we'll just have to see." and hung up.
I did call the county sheriff's office and a deputy came out to my house about an hour later. He heard the dogs barking (the neighbors had left for work and had left the dogs outside again). He went to their house and left something letting them know a complaint had been filed. Hopefully, now, they realize I am serious. After listening to this for over a YEAR, another day of it is just too long. The deputy advised us that anytime the noise was a bother, to call them. I hated doing that. They have so many more important things to deal with than a barking dog.

That is all the excitement I've had to report of late. And if that is all I have this year, I'll be happy for it!

How's life in YOUR neck of the woods??

Until next time,
Laine