Today, much to my disgrace, I was hoping dogs could get laryngitis. It’s not that I don’t like dogs, I love dogs! I have two Papillons! However; I live on a corner lot, and all around me it seems like my neighbor’s dogs take turns barking for hours on end. I can just imagine the conversations they have. ” Ok Sparky, you take early Monday morning, I’ll take the afternoon shift. Spot, you make sure that just when Mrs. Jones is trying hardest to concentrate on her jewelry business, you bark for four hours straight! Everybody got it?”
Ok, they probably don’t hold neighborhood meetings (I am still a little suspicious though) but, how do they know to bark right before my alarm goes off in the mornings, everytime I change a load in my washing machine, and especially when I’m working in my studio, on jewelry! Today the little muttly across the street barked from 10:00 AM to 2:00PM -NO LIE!!! There he is, inside the house across the street. Looking out the window that’s been left ajar. He’s watching the wind blow the leaves, or squirrels scampering across the lawn, or whatever …and he barks. That’s when I began to wonder if dogs get laryngitis. Well, do they? If I yapped my head off for four consecutive hours, I wouldn’t be able to talk for a week! This little runt will probably be at it again tomorrow!
So I’m faced with a dilemma. Do I move my house and all its contents somewhere away from my “surround sound ala’ pooch” ? Do I become the grouchy old lady neighbor who yells out the door ” Keep that mutt quiet! My soaps are on!” Maybe earplugs? Of course then I wouldn’t hear my phone, or my business partner. Not an entirely bad idea… Although I do want to hear the phone, it might be a client!
If I were a less than civil person, I would take my son’s trumpet outside around- let’s say 5:30AM- and blow like Gabriel!!! Then when my angry neighbors came outside to yell at me, I could say something like “Oh, did that disturb you? I can understand that it would since your dog’s incessant barking disturbs me, how ’bout we both practice better manners?” But, I’m not less than civil, I hate being the grumpy neighbor. So , I guess I am doomed to hear the “Barkeluja Chorus” for all eternity.
Maybe I’ll just hope for an epidemic of Doggie Laryngitis.
jewelryenthusiast 