My tomatoes are thirsty and I am afraid to go near them.

Yesterday I went out to water the tomato plants I have in pots along the side of the house and HUGE dog suddenly stuck itself out of a screen-less window to his shoulders and started barking. Totally took me by surprise and got my heart pumping, not a long trip in this weather to passing out, I have a really bad startle response. I also thought, geez I hope they didn't leave him alone without plenty of water! So I did my "Oh gee, don't bark at me doggy, you really scared me." and I backed away from the rain barrel and left it running into my then overflowing watering can, taking some time to pace a bit in the front yard to calm down.

See, I do like dogs, but I am also afraid of them. No amount of yelling at me while a dog is barking at me that the dog is fine and I should not be afraid helps. But over the years I have come to understand that it is a combination of my overzealous startle response and a basic lack of consideration on the part of the dog owners that causes the problem. In other words, I share in the responsibility for what is not always a pleasant encounter.

Could the dog jump out of the window? Would it get hurt doing so? Would it chase me? Why have the owners not considered the possibility that the dog could get out? Why when they moved in did they not tell me that they had a very large German Sheppard? Why did they not then take the time to introduce me to the dog?

Okay, the next part of this diatribe is about a basic lack of consideration on the part of the dog owners. I have in my family a person who is a "dog person". From him I have learned the inner workings of the dog person's mind. One thing I know he cannot fathom is how someone could not love their dog. Because he is a nice man, he knows that he has to teach his dog to behave properly around fearful people and even dog haters. He takes responsibility. (I was a mom of small children and I relate a lot to the mental framework.)

Then there are other people, who display the same sort of lack of consideration for others when it comes to just about everything they view as theirs, property, rights, opinions. They like to be in  your face or at least it doesn't bother them when they are because, or so it seems to me, they figure they can hurt you if necessary.

There are an unknown number of young men next door. They have a weight lifting bench in the driveway, and two MASSIVE trucks. They have the posture and bravado of a bunch of butt heads. They freak me out a bit. When they moved in I was introduced to the one of their mothers who looked like a nice woman. She was drunk as a skunk however. I suspect that they would not have been able to rent the house without her help. She is gone. They are not worse than the last people there as far as the property goes, they seem to cut the grass for example, but I think they are not taking care of this dog or they want it to scare others away from the house. I have to share the space between the houses however because my vegetables are there.

Sigh. Should I speak to one of the young men? Ask them to maybe, while holding the dog, to let me introduce myself so that I can get my tomatoes without fear? This is a drag.