Dead Dog?

This morning at 8:30 three my daycare parents along with the city's attorney met with my neighbors and their attorney. They were instructed to try to settle rather than seeing the judge so that is what they did.

Apparently the only dog being considered today was the one offending September 7th. I guess they forgot about the zillions of calls I've made to the animal shelter about the other dogs on the property. Sometimes they've had up to five of them and sometimes more than one was loose at a time. This one chased one of my daycare parents and her children to her car and showed it's teeth at the animal control officer. Bad dog. The owner claims the dog is now dead. The dog that was alive and barking yesterday morning is now dead. Fishy? I can't believe the attorney for the city bought this. nobody else did.

While at city hall one of the witnesses, a daycare parent, called to ask me how many dogs were on the property this morning. I told her I could just see the brown and white pit bull that animal services had complaints on just last Thursday. Seems it was out roaming around disturbing neighbors across the street but when the officer (a daycare parent also) arrived, the dog was on it own property so she could not pick it up, only ask the owner to tie it back up. I did not make that call. I didn't even see it loose. But they get to keep it now.

This dog.

The settlement basically says that that dead dog is not to return to the property in the next twelve months and they are to only have the one dog on the property for the same time period.

I sure wish I had been there to here it for myself. I would have protested when the attorney asked if this was good for everybody. HELL NO it's not good. I can't agree to a settlement based on such an obvious lie just because the attorney wants to settle all his cases before lunch. No way. I would have been happy with the dog owner stating that he has placed the dog in the care of friends or family members with a properly fenced in yard and the dog will not be returning to the property. Now that's reasonable. Instead that lazy lawyer allowed these imbeciles to insult the intelligence of the court and everybody there with this dead dog bullshit. That's just wrong. I'm a bit angry.

One of the daycare parents stopped to get a sub on her way to my house. As she pulled into the driveway there was a little white dog in the carport of the house next door. She grinned and looked at me, I knew she was thinking what I was thinking so I got her the number and I grabbed my camera and we made a report. Ten minutes after the neighbors got home from court the animal control officer was in their driveway. Apparently the woman was a bit irritated at the visit. The dog didn't belong to them (and we didn't think it did but it was loose and at that location thus our report). Apparently there was some talk of harassment charges against my friend and me. Animal services did not find the little white mutt but we have a good picture of it just to keep our butts out of jail!



Of course the report was spiteful but there was a dog loose and as a family childcare provider parents are depending on me to keep their children safe and I take that responsibility very seriously whether the City of Decatur Alabama does or not. You know this aint over!

Testy, Testy

Looks like the neighbors are getting a little edgy.

Tuesday is the court date about the dog stuff. I was outside standing on the curb across the street taking pictures of the space between our houses relative to where the dogs were kept and my daycare entrance and also my fence. The neighbor (I forget her name) came out yelling. The first that I could discern was, "Are you takin' pictures of my house?"

I answered, "Nope, I'm taking pictures of my fence."

She went on with, "I appreciate you taking pictures of my house!" I think what she meant was that she didn't appreciate my taking pictures of her house. It's the lingo I know. I'm learning a bit about the slang by watching Judge Joe Brown. For instance, I've learned that conversating (if indeed it is even a word) means talking and talking means having sex. Just thought you'd want to know. Anyway, so I went on to offer her a print. I had to repeat it several times so I guess she didn't understand that I meant a print of the picture of my fence so I gave the A-OK hand gesture and turned to go back inside. I wasn't through with my picture taking but I didn't want to upset her further. From my back I heard her yell, "Smart ass!"

Yes, I am keeping my doors locked the next couple of days or so.

It's my thinking that I can take all the pictures I want as long as I'm not standing in their yard. Yes? So now I'm posting it on the internet!

It's a Boy!

Or at least it's going to be. Sarah had an ultra sound done today.

Sarah was so funny. She called me on her way back to Clarksville after the doctor visit. She said, "Mom, there's something wrong with my little girl. She has a penis."

I was wondering if Warren was going to be confused by this little revelation because they had been calling Sarah's tummy "Sadie" for so long. She said it's ok Mom, I've already talked to Warren and told him we may have to start calling Sadie something else after today.

They so funny!

Yesterday the power went off mid-afternoon for about twenty minutes. It was a cloudy dreary day so I opened the outside door for a little light and slid the window in the door open for a little fresh air. As I did, I heard my notorious neighbors come outside, slam the door, and start to argue. No, not just argue, it appeared between the fence slats that they were shoving and/or punching each other. I thought I'd better closed the door quick so the children would not hear but then something yelled caught my attention. I eaves dropped a minute and then began hysterically laughing.

They were pounding each other over who forgot to pay the electric bill!

More Sunday in Puerto Rico

After the visit to the fort on Sunday, our group was dropped off downtown. Rick and I already had our maps marked for the Hard Rock Cafe, a long time custom of ours. We did a little, a very little, shopping after wards and had to hurry back to the bus. The downtown area was crowded but beautiful. The streets were barely wide enough for two cars. There was parking on one side and just room enough for one lane of traffic to creep past.

This was sort of a town square. I think it was called Plaza Colon.

This was the lovely little school. There was a neat little playground on the other side.

Back at the resort we stopped at the bar before the long walk to our bungalow. I ordered another Mojito, my favorite new Spanish word. You put an ounce and a half Bacardi Superior in a highball glass. Add about 8 mint leaves and crush with a pestle. Then another ounce and a half Bacardi Superior, half a lime sliced and squeezed, fill with ice and club soda. I think you are supposed to put a little sugar in it but who needs more sugar? After the second drink know one can taste sugar anyway. Drop on by the house some time, I'll fix you one.

We had dinner at one of the restaurants at the resort Sunday night. It was wonderful but not $118 worth. I don't think I've ever been over $100 worth of hungry in my life! A jazz band had set up at the bar and we attempted to relax for a little while but I started falling a sleep soon so we headed back to the room at about 9:00, packed up and went to bed.

We checked out a little after 5:00am Monday and met the buses at 5:45. Home again home again and of course trouble at Atlanta. We were sitting on the little puddle jumper that was to take us from Atlanta back to Huntsville. We were sitting there a long time without leaving the gate. Finally the pilot got on the speaker and said he ought to tell us what was taking so long. Apparently on the flight before someone had flushed a soda can down the toilet in first class. That's classy. The plane could not leave without draining the tank and it would not drain. This caused about a thirty minute delay. Finally they drained the tank but the can was still lodged. Nothing ever runs smoothly at Atlanta.

Sunday in Puerto Rico

Sunday was our big day. We got up early to take a bus tour to San Juan to see the Bacadi distillery, the Fort San Cristobal, and shop downtown.

Bright sunrise to the east . . .

Lovely rainbow to the west.

Our Bacardi tour guide standing beside the bat fountain. This tour is free by the way.

These are the tree murals in the foyer. The tell the story of Christopher Columbus discovering PR, the Spaniards bring sugar cane, and the pirates bringing rum. I think that's what it was.

The bar inside the Bacardi visitors center.

Us.

The front of the cisitors center.

The actual distillery building.

The Bat Pavillion shaped like an in-flight bat.

Views from the bus window.

The Fort San Cristobal

View from the fort

Which way out?

This way?

Or that?

More views from the fort.

Saturday in Puerto Rico

Saturday we slept a little later than I intended to. I think we got up at 8:00, went to breakfast, then back , aaaaaallllll the way back to the room to put on our swim suits and then aaaaaaallll the way back to the pool where we spent the better part of the day.

I stopped in the grass on my way to the pool to take a picture of these two lovely creatures. When I was satisfied I had taken the perfect shot I looked down at my flip flopped feet and they were covered with ants! Yikes! I flicked them all off and not one bit me. Definitely not Alabama ants!

The whole resort was this lovely.
I just can't take enough pictures of sand, ocean, and palm trees.

The water was so shallow one could walk all the way
out to where you see the breakers in this picture.

More wildlife at the pool.

Beds at the pool. Now tell me, is mostly naked bodies, free alcohol,
and beds all in the same venue a good idea? Just FYI, there were beds
in the bar too and they had sheers around them.

The lagoon pool. It was awesome. Didn't get over five foot deep but there were
shallow areas and the areas where you see the columns are Jacuzzi. The in the water
lounges were made of concrete and there for hard as rocks. We skipped them this year.

This was my favorite tree. I think it appears in about
a dozen of my pictures both close up and from afar.

My tree again.

The back side of the bungalows.

Awesome sunset!

Tiny little critters!

Really tiny critters!

They are trickier than they look after a few Mojitos. Mojito, my new favorite Spanish word.

Storm a brewin'.

Decorations for the banquet Saturday night.