Thursday evening around 5:00, I heard Farmer H's phone ring. He carries it in a holster on his belt. I heard the velcro rrrip as he drew it to answer. I even turned off my music on HIPPIE, to try and see what it was about. His Harem, maybe, from the senior apartments? Or somebody wanting merchandise from his SUS2.5? But hopefully not one of the kids calling with a problem.
Farmer H had proceeded through the living room to the bathroom, to put away some medicine he had picked up at the pharmacy. I couldn't hear much, but the tone seemed to be one of denial, and not agreement. He came back to the kitchen, and began talking before I could even start my inquisition.
"That was our across-the-road neighbor. She said, 'I see your dog down here on the road by the mailboxes.' I told her, 'You don't see MY dog. He's got a shock collar, and hasn't left the property in four days. He's on the back porch right now. ' And she started sputtering, 'Oh. Do you know of anybody else out here with a white dog?' Heh, heh. I bet she feels like a rumpus right now."
"I told you, I'm not so sure Pepper was the one making her dogs bark at night. Especially since you saw that other dog in our yard around the same time, making OUR dogs bark at night. I mean, sure, I know Pepper goes over there. But without a picture, I'm not convinced it was him that night before their complaint."
"Well. I KNOW it's not Pepper down by the mailboxes. I'm going out to see. I ain't got no notice that he's out of the fence."
Farmer H stepped out the kitchen door and called to Pepper. Who came running, thinking there was another treat.
"See? She cain't blame Pepper this time."
"She DOES seem to be overly interested in OUR dogs. Trying to catch them at something, and point the finger at us on Facebook. Do you think she's being petty about it, or just trying to let us know? She told you she saw Scarlett and Jack all the way out by the highway that one time. It's hard to believe, but with Scarlett it was very possible. Maybe she just wants us to know, in case we might want to go "rescue" our dog. But if she really was such a dog lover, and sure it's ours, you'd think she would put him in her car at the mailbox, and drive him back up here."
"Nah. She's doin' it just to be a busybody, and make us look like we don't take care of our dogs."
"Too bad she couldn't put THIS one on Facebook, and ask if it belongs to anybody out here. Like she did with Pepper that first time she saw him. So you could have replied on there that Pepper is home with a shock collar."
"She didn't sound happy when I told her it wasn't Pepper. She sounded like she'd been caught doing something."
Later that evening, our dogs went crazy barking. Jack on the porch, and Pepper over in front of the BARn. Farmer H went to see if anybody was messing with his stuff. He said both Pepper and Jack were very interested in the $2000 white truck parked in front of the BARn. I said maybe somebody was trying to steal it. Farmer H said it was more likely an animal, because Pepper and Jack kept sniffing the tires.
Huh. Maybe it's some other dog running around. Maybe the one from the mailboxes. It could be that somebody dumped one. Or just one who lives out here, and is allowed to be a dog.
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