That's what it feels like. A few weeks after the chicken incident and my neighbor's dog, I started seeing it around again and knew it was a matter of time before it came back for a snack. Thankfully I was here.
I couldn't get it to leave and it kept trying to circle me to get to the chickens. We finally got it to go home and I followed it. I was mad and probably yelling. The neighbor's daughter started yelling at me telling me that they work all day and he got loose. She had gone into the house to get his harness that was all closed up (snaps) and not in pieces. Kinda hard for him to get loose if he's not wearing it isn't it?
Anyway, her father kept telling me to shoot the dog...to which I responded that he needed to just keep the dog tied up and then there wouldn't be any problem. If I found the dog attacking my chickens again, I would shoot it....as it is my legal right. I'll discuss that in a minute. Then he told me to bring down my gun and shoot it in front of him. ???
Then he said that friends were welcome at his house, neighbors welcome, and then waved his had to dismiss me. He also then told me that all the neighbors now about me and my $500 bill for $13 dollars worth of chickens. (the feed for the last year, replacement cost, and loss of egg money for four months until the new chicks start to lay was over $500, but we had verbally agreed to about half of it....they've given me $50). He stated that if I ever got stuck in the ditch that I'd better have my checkbook because none of the neighbors would help me out. Wow....I've moved to crazy town.
I've resolved that I'm never getting anything else from them. I'm nervous to even go down to their house as their craziness may have me arrested for something weird. I've decided if the dog returns I will video tape it, call the sheriff and press criminal charges.
After the last incident, the sheriff told me I could give the bill to him but if I did I would have to press criminal charges. In light of how they are acting now and the neighbors' statements that this isn't the first time there's been a problem with this dog and a previous dog that they had, I wish I had gone the legal route.
So, that's the drama from the dog. I haven't seen it since last Friday. I'm sure it will be back and soon.
On the school note, we have two weeks left and testing. The kids are doing well getting done....except the teen who is lagging behind a little. They will hopefully be all done on time.
The garden is finally getting planted now. We had temps into the 30s at night even this week but it looks all uphill from here. I planted peppers last night and hope to get the onions, green beans, carrots, and beets done today. I hope to get the tomatoes and cucumbers done this weekend and next week....pumpkins, watermelons, and cantalope. I also planted 25 strawberry plants and three peach trees this year. My raspberries are just growing....I only lost one this past winter with the cold. I thought I'd lost the blueberries too but they are looking pretty good. The cherry tree and plum trees are doing marvelously! I'm working on pruning the apple and crabapple trees that were on the property. They have never been pruned so its pretty bad. The big issue is that they are so big, I can't get that high to prune. I'm hoping to do a little pruning all year and then a big one in the fall. I don't want to shock the poor things.
My college is going well. I have a big paper (rough draft) due the first week of June. I'm hoping to have that done and finish up the other class' assignment the following week and be done a week early.
That's about all that's going on here. Its been crazy but busy!
