Neighbor dogs

Thursday, 7:19 pm

By Kate

May

25

2006

This morning dawned sunny and warm so it was destined to be a yard work day. Can’t waste these dry and sunny days when we get them.

There was a lot of weed whacking to do along the fences, around shrubbery, the woodpile and etc. And lawn mowing and reseeding the front side yard where the grubs attacked. Plus pruning and feeding the roses and preparing the beds out front for flowers. In the midst of all this activity, I seem to have forgotten the sun was actually shining and I have acquired a rather uncomfortable farmer’s sunburn (the back of my neck and lower halves of my arms. Plus nose and cheeks, of course.).

What I also discovered was that the new gasoline powered weed whacker was playing games and the game turned out to be not so much fun when I replaced it. So it decided to start without a whimper this morning. Doesn’t that just figure? But that meant...I put the lad to work. Two of us weed whacking made things move a long a lot faster. I’m glad to have the electric one, anyway. It’s much lighter and easier to handle for the smaller jobs.

While I was out working, one of the neighbors came ambling up the street with his three dogs, none of which were on leash. The dogs like to run into our yards and lift their legs on our shrubbery. Thanks to this guy’s dogs, I have lost several shrubs in the last three seasons. The dog urine burns them to death. I talked with this guy’s mother last year and she started keeping the dogs home (she used to let them out at 11PM and they’d come around and piddle on our shrubs). That gave my last remaining living shrub a chance to recover. Mostly. It’s still filling in. Now her son lives with her and he has even less regard for what the dogs do.

I mentioned to him today that I’d really prefer if his dogs didn’t water my shrubs. He looked at me and asked, “Why?”

“Because they kill my shrubs. Dog pee burns them and then the leaves turn yellow and eventually fall off and the shrubs die. Then I have to replace them every year.”

“Whatever,” he shrugged and walked away.

Oh well. I don’t suppose it would go over very well if I got the bb gun out, but I am tempted. Except I like the dogs and it’s not their fault. Maybe their owner should get a bb in the butt. Just desperation talking, y’know. But really, short of starting world war III in the neighborhood by calling the dog catcher, what does one do? They were working over the new burning bush this afternoon and I’ll be super mad if they kill that. Why can’t some dog owners be responsible?!