2006-01-11 - 11:35 a.m.
Conflict! I have a teleconference here at work from noon to 3, but David can't get home to let Doll out, so she's going to wait pretty much all day to get outside. My poor girl! Sadly, the fence is still at the fenceposts-only stage of development. They promised to have it done by Friday.
The landscapers came by and pruned the shrubs in the front and back yards, and whacked the crepe myrtles back to bare trunks. I'm not really sure why they reduced them to bare sticks, perhaps that's what one does to crepe myrtles in January. They also took out whatever remnant of a planting was in the beds along the front walk. It was neatly raked dirt for about ten minutes, until Doll got in there.
There are stray cats in the neighborhood, or perhaps the neighbors let their cats out at night. Either way, we frequently have catfights on the front porch, 'round midnight, as they say. Last night, we heard some hissing and howling, followed by Dolly's loud bark. Thanks, Doll, that helped. I go out to the living room and turn the porch light on, that usually runs 'em off. Yesterday afternoon when I got home, I let Dolly out and she charged straight down the sidewalk after a tabby. Fortunately, she stopped when I called her. Man, I hate it when people let their animals roam the neighborhood. It always ends badly.
I've seen a dog loose at night, a boxer, but that might be unintentional. The fences we have are only four feet high, and I personally knew a boxer who could jump a six foot fence without breaking a sweat. Some dogs can climb fences - huskies are known for it.
Lucky for me, Dolly is not the runaway type. Even if she could jump the fence, she'd never do it. This morning when we went for our walk, she walked the whole way home without a leash, right nearby, and perfectly well-behaved. We'd had a short game of fetch, and she was proudly carrying her stick, wagging all the way.
Man, I love my dog. Poor girl, having to hold it all day! I'll get there as soon as I can.
