Roll Call 28

That's really nice...I would have just driven up the road to buy them some water and brought it back though...my policy for stranded people is to call the cops...no one is getting into my car period. This may be a city vs rural thing though...

One more thing on the dog shooting issue if no one minds.

I live in the country in a county where the rule is there's no leash law, dogs are allowed to roam, but if they're aggressive others can shoot them. Where I live it's been a long-standing tradition for all the dogs to be allowed out to run, and I always just turn my dogs out when they have to potty. Mostly they're in the house with me, but I don't walk them on a leash, for example, or have a fenced yard for them.

Recently I've been increasingly worried that someone will shoot them. Bridey never used to go out for long, just out to do her business then right back in. She goes to doggie day care for exercise. But now that I have Zeke too, they go out and are gone for up to an hour. I'm not sure where they are. None of the near neighbors would shoot them, I don't think, but I worry they may be going a long distance and someone who doesn't know them might shoot them. Technically you can't shoot them unless they're being aggressive, but you could just lie and say they were attacking. They're big dogs. The cops would believe it. Or just toss the bodies away. Who would know?

So now I mostly let them out in the area I have fenced in for the chickens. And I take them to the dog park more. And of course there's doggie day care.

I'm still letting them out the back door at about 5 am every morning, though, and I do worry about them. So far they've come back every time - knock wood - but there are people out there like newtus's neighbor who wouldn't hesitate to shoot.

I always imagine they're running miles away, but when I look out they're right there in the trees behind my house or even lying in the back yard. It still preys on my mind.

That's really nice...I would have just driven up the road to buy them some water and brought it back though...my policy for stranded people is to call the cops...no one is getting into my car period. This may be a city vs rural thing though...

That orange vest is a fabulous idea. Also a nice collar and tags might help too. You just have to be super careful these days.

Yeah I saw where Neil Gaiman put them on his white shepards during deer season....he owns a lot of property in Minnesota but people don't really pay attention to ownership when they hunt....

How are your dogs with kids? One of our neighbors had a dog that used to mess with me....we had no fences for the whole block but had to put one up due to that....

I would have done that too only because here in Dallas you never know who you can trust. There are well over 3,000 homeless people here.

They're fine with kids, but you have to understand that this isn't like a city block. I live at a lake. There are really only three near neighbors, and they all know my dogs. And, of those, I can only see one house, because there are so many trees. Then there's a strip of land behind me owned by someone who isn't taking care of it. It's been overrun by those juniper trees (called Eastern Red Cedar, but they're junipers) that always spring up on neglected grassland.

Then beyond that strip there's farmland - cultivated crops. A few miles away to the west, there are some cattle. That's what I worry about. That they'll go up near those cattle and the farmer will shoot them.

Here's the layout. All that dark green around my house is trees. I'm hoping they're not going beyond that strip of junipers, but I can't tell because ... well, because there are a bunch of trees blocking my view.

Over 100,000 here with half of those in shelters....I usually give people money but only once per person....I prefer to give to food banks but I also have to hold out the possibility that someone really could be a dollar short for a bus pass or whatever....it's the what if it's true part that gets me....also that could be me someday....

One of the neighbors used to tease him through the fence so he got more aggressive with people outside the fence. Neighbor on the other side tried to touch him through the fence and got bitten...

Yeah I always wonder about the 'what if they are telling the truth' too. I prefer to just hand them some food rather than money. Although I have handed out money to that one lady before. I do that with her because she is afraid of people. My youngest daughter works in a yogurt shop and this lady comes in there often to use the restroom. My daughter's boss feeds the lady sometimes too when she'll accept it. My daughter offered her an ice water on a day when it was super hot outside and the lady refused it and left immediately. We think she thought that my daughter was going to harm her with the iced water. So we know just to give her money and let her make her own purchase.

Costello: That looks like an awesome place to live! I bet it is just beautiful! I miss living in the country. Hopefully someday I will again....

Yeah I saw where Neil Gaiman put them on his white shepards during deer season....he owns a lot of property in Minnesota but people don't really pay attention to ownership when they hunt....

I remember when I was a kid at my old house there was a feral cat and we took it in and I named her Pizza and she was cool until one day she scratched my hand super bad so we had to let her go back outside, then she had kittens and lived in this pile of rubble (it's rural area), and we eventually relocated the cat and kittens to another area. Feral cats are so common where I am. Everyone who has a farm has barn cats and they usually throw a bunch of food outside for them. Plus they have nice and stuff to eat. And then they populate more and more. Even in town there's a big feral cat population and I know this one guy who has a bunch of cats himself and also feeds feral cats...

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Costello: That looks like an awesome place to live! I bet it is just beautiful! I miss living in the country. Hopefully someday I will again....

I totally agree with this although I worry that I've become too much of a city girl now....what do you mean I have to drive an hour to go see X-men and grab an ice cream? We can't just walk there?

I totally agree with this although I worry that I've become too much of a city girl now....what do you mean I have to drive an hour to go see X-men and grab an ice cream? We can't just walk there?

It is awesome, thanks. I'm having some trouble with my next door neighbor, so I'll probably move soon. But if I do, I'll move in with my mom - even more room! 40 acres and no one with cattle nearby. The only fear there (there's always a fear, isn't there?) is that a major highway runs right past her property.

The white line shows her approximate boundaries.

I miss the peaceful sounds of the country and the smells. I miss being able to see the stars. Here I am 15 minutes from downtown Dallas. I hear so much city noise and people are everywhere like ants. It feels very over populated to me. I long for country living...

Oh wow that's awesome! I wonder if you could put up one of those invisible fences to keep the dogs from getting close to that highway? I don't know much about those invisible fences. I wonder if they really work?