eThoughts : Patterns IV

Jan 1, 2005, now 7:15 p.m. and my neighbors’ dogs, one neighbor’s dogs in particular, have been at it for well over an hour. I was in my house on my 2.5 acres (the size of many parcels in this area), sitting in my living room, close to the fireplace, a good 64 feet of insulation and dual-pane windows and walls away from my bedroom, which is the part of the house closest to that particular neighbor, yet I could still be assaulted at least one of these neighbor’s barking dogs who is stored in horse stalls on that property.

It is one thing to find a cave-like way to live in my home, and another to be able to step outside and go for a walk on my property, or to go into the Jacuzzi, or to sit and look at the stars or the night, or, God forbid, open my windows and have some fresh air, without the incessant noise trespass generated by her dogs, or any dogs. At times in this ordeal, I’ve marveled at the canine ability to not wear out from the sheer energy it takes to continually bark.

I think people know little about what it takes to care for animals. What I hear are basically dogs that are trying to connect with some life form, not doing so well at it, but are left with little choice other than to go quiet and give up their quest.

Is that projection or parallel on my part?

Well, they are barking. Maybe I just am noticing connective links.

In any case, I’m glad I have my little corner to hide in, even if I have to run some appliance or the other to set up enough of a steady hum that I can at least habituate. I certainly cannot seem to habituate to the dogs, who would be like appliances on the fritz, going on or off whenever, running ragged, running like a drone, but only predictable in the sense that the outbreak is looming.

Yes, an unlicensed kennel and continual barking are against the law. But, that doesn’t seem to matter to either the neighbor(s) or the animal control officers.

I wonder why? I’m actually very curious as to why an unlicensed kennel, at the very least, would be ignored, would be allowed to continue?

That’s a very interesting question. It may be small potatoes in the scheme of things, but small potatoes can still tell us a lot about large ones

Well, it’s 7:50 p.m. now, and I’ve gotten up and tended to the fire and I watched a news report about Texas edging out Michigan in the Rose Bowl and I’ve done some more thinking.

In the meantime, the dogs have barked off and on for about 50% of the last 35 minutes.

That’s actually a good run around here. Still, it’s time to run a few more appliances.