Stop the Barking!!

I almost felt guilty for driving the car to town today to do our errands. There were SO many people out and about, walking to town, walking along the Sea Walk... The weather cleared up and reminded me how lucky we are to live here. It's amazing to be able to look out the window and see the ocean and the Coast Mountain Range!! The ferries, the tugs, the fishing boats... It's nice to have the reminder after all this rain and cloud.
We didn't watch the Super Bowl. I did take in the Half-Time show though. I thought The Rolling Stones were pretty good for what...70 year olds? Mick Jagger looks like he is living in the body of a 13 year old boy, but with a bit of a flap under his arms! They really did their thing and I enjoyed it.
Our neighbours must have been out at a Super Bowl get together today. They left some time this morning and put their poor neglected dog outside again. I have only once in nearly 3 years, seen that dog out of the yard. Today, he was outside barking.............alllllll day! They put him out when they left and I swear he didn't let up. We have been given permission to tell him to Shut Up, and we take advantage of that. I've tried every trick I know to get him to be quiet. Well, every trick I know works on kids... I've tried being nice, I've tried being mean... he usually gives me one more "Whatever, Lady," bark and then he'll be quiet for about half a minute or less, and carry on where he left off. If he's singing along with the ambulance or police sirens I let him be, because I find the humour in that!! But the barking has got to stop! I have spoken to the neighbours about it, but they insist there is nothing they can do. "He's been a jerk lately. We had him shaved..." I'm not sure what that has to do with the barking. I'd probably bark if my owners shaved me just before the beginning of winter as well. So all day we uselessly yelled "Shut up Piper!!" out the bathroom window. The last time I talked to the owner, she told me to give the dog a quick spray with the garden hose. I mentioned this to Adam, who is normally not bothered with the barking, and when he went out to dump the compost, he threw a bowl of water on to the dog!! And amazingly he's been silent ever since!!! The neighbours came home shortly thereafter and took him inside, so I know he'll dry off eventually and he'll sleep in his nice warm people house all night and in the morning when she takes her kids to Day Care, she'll put him back out in the yard and he'll bark as soon as she closes the door to her truck!! What to do...

Calli was already dressing up early this morning!!

And making some supper for her Barbies before she went to bed!

Marin was trying to get someone to stop the barking!! "What don't you understand?"