A row of tiny white flags, as far as the eye can see. Or at least to the edge of their property. They go the other direction, too, with a lone flag propped between two large rocks in the middle of their driveway.
Something tells me they are not surrendering.
I doubt this new barrier is designed to dissuade their two horses from wandering. They already have an electric fence, as you can see in the photo. Besides, the horses don't have access to the driveway. Here's what I think happened. I believe their two not-heaven hounds came home with a chicken carcass again.
We had an issue soon after they moved in. Hick caught their mutts red-pawed. They ran over into the BARn field and snatched a chicken right out from under Hick's nose. Of course, even that little baby cartoon chicken hawk could snatch a chicken from under Foghorn Hickhorn's nose. Hick went a knockin' the next day, and the neighbor guy apologized, and politely refused Hick's offer to break his pets' chicken-killing habits by loaning out the shock collar we borrowed to break Ann of her bloodthirst. Soon thereafter, their dogs quit roaming onto our homestead.
Now they have a new dog to go with one of the old dogs. It's a standard poodle with a whippet-like tail, off-white in color, and quite obnoxious. The old dog is a barrel-chested black fellow with tan on his chest and baboon-like black-and-tan butt with a bobbed tail. Every morning since mid-summer, these two dashed into our yard. Our dogs would start yapping at them around 5:00 a.m. from the porch. Then they'd move out to the front yard. Then up to the road. "Bark, bark, bark!" warned our dogs. And, like a first-year dainty schoolmarm trying to tame a 7th hour class of eighth graders...they were completely ignored.
AND THEN THE NEIGHBOR DOGS WOULD CHARGE!
That would explain why the chickens were scarce every morning when I watched out the window for them to peck in the front yard. Once school started, The Pony and I noticed that the neighbor dogs ran back to their own yard when we went up our driveway. They stood on their side of the road until we passed, then charged back into our yard.
So...I think those doggies must have done something heinous and have been put under yard arrest.
Just my theory. For all I know, there could be a natural gas line going in along that property.
Where I live they spray the ground to mark where natural gas lines are going in. They don't put up markers on fences.
ReplyDeleteElaine knew what to do with a problematic dog...
ReplyDeleteThere are no bad dogs, just bad dog owners...ok some dogs are bad, but usually it's the owners.
ReplyDeleteSo, electric shock? Incarceration across the road? Sure it's not a prison for dogs gone wild?
ReplyDeleteYard arrest! My dogs have a yard they can access out my back door. They do not like strangers coming near their fence. During pool season I caught two brave pre-teen boys taunting them through the fence. I stood watching for a few minutes, then cleared my throat and offered to let the dogs out to taunt them. They left immediately and went back to the pool area. I am quite certain that Toni Louise would have followed them and wanted to play, but the doxies will bite. Wall-E would have peed on himself and cowered behind me. It really bothers me when someone (canine or human) dares to approach my dogs and challenge them on their own turf. I am surprised Hick didn't trap them and take them to the animals shelter!
ReplyDeleteStephen,
ReplyDeleteI've seen a different color of these flags along the main road, but I don't know what utility company used them. The driveway flag propped between two rocks makes me think the flags are giving off a signal.
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Sioux,
She also knew what to do with a Supreme Flounder, but that doesn't mean I'm going to order a Chinese big fish and eat it in the janitor's closet of the building across the street...
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joeh,
I don't mind their dogs running free, as long as they don't kill Hick's chickens. I can't believe those folks wouldn't let Hick shock the bejeebers out of their pets!
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Linda,
Maybe I can make some extra lottery money by slipping them cigarettes!
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Kathy,
Hick is not exactly a trapper. He's more of a...um...shooter. Not shoot to kill, but shoot to get their attention, so they can contemplate the error of their ways. After the very first chicken kill, he shot one of their dogs with a paintball gun. That might be when their dogs started staying home.