So eariler tonight, one of biggest pet peeves came about...  People walking on your property. 

As some of you may know, my house is a "corner" house.  Not the corner most of you may think, but the last house next to a pond.  We only have 1 neighbor and are considered the corner house.  However, the grass inbetween my property and the pond is common area.  And yes, I'm a property hog and the line is very well defined (including red pricker bushes and a white vinyl fence).

Back to the story - eariler tonight, I'm sitting upstairs, watching James Bond or CSI and the dog starts barking.  Riley has been antsy lately and as shes barking, I'm thinking, "Now What!!!" as these are not playful barks.  These were mean, I'm upset barks...  

So I go downstairs and see what she's barking at.  Here's the pet peeve...  Are you ready...  A neighbor (meaning someone in our subdivision - not my 1 neighbor) is walking along my house with his kid.  Not in the common area, but next to my house!!!  The funny part was that the kid (about 5) was on the common area, Daddy was not!!!!!!!!!!!  Thus the reason for the barking dog.

We watched them through the back door from inside the house.  They stopped and went closer to the pond.  It looked like there were waving at someone in a car who was lost and then walked back, this time both on the common area, back to the street.  So Riley & I go to the front door and watch them talk to the people in the car.  By the way, another funny tidbit - as Riley & I are watching through the back, Kiddo is pointing & telling his dad that there are people in the house watching them and saying lets go.  Way to go kiddo.  Good job taking the hint.

After they finish talking to the people in the car, kiddo and his moron of a dad, walk inbetween the houses across the street.  These houses are not "corner" houses.  They are middle of the street houses with one house having well maintained grass.  Everyone knows how dry it has been and Chris's grass is very green, so you know he takes care of it.

This is when I open the door and go outside; leaving the front door open, but the storm door shut and all the while Riley is barking, mean barks mind you.  Here is the conversation between me and the idiot.

Suzi - "Excuse Me."

Idiot - "Yes?"

S - "Next time you walk over here, can you not walk on my property?"

I - "We were just going to the pond."

S - "I understand, but you are walking through my backyard."

I - "I'm sorry, we going to the pond, I've done nothing wrong."

S - "Yes you have, you were walking though my backyard and now you are continuing to walk through someone elses yard.  You need to be more aware of where you walk."  (I think I confused him because I went back inside and he was still taking).

All the time, Riley - my protector, is barking.  The mean bark, the something isn't right bark.  The bark that says come closer and I'll come through the storm door. 

Now, I complain about Riley, I call her a goober and a big oof.  I say that she still needs to work on her manners and I wait for the day when she stops jumping and will be a calm dog who can sit outside with us on Sunday morning as we read and not run off after a leaf. 

But I'll take that goober with protective bark anyday.  Christie was right (as usual).  She said that I would probably love that fact that Riley is a good size, 50 to 60 pound, black dog.  And tonight was it.