Dad picked up a stone rabbit the other day. It's about ten inches long, and he jokingly suggested that we use it as a method to scare the groundhogs away. So we stuck it in our backyard a few yards from the burrow. So far only the dogs are scared of it. Happy keeps getting excited because he mistakes it for a groundhog until he gets closer.

Anyway, the rabbit's not only good for confusing the dogs; it confuses the neighbors as well. Today, one of the people living next door came by to warn us that we had a dead animal in our backyard. Well, he suggested that it could possibly be a statue, but it might also be dead, so he thought it best to bring it to our attention. It might be just a statue, though. But still. Better safe than sorry.

My brother was the one that answered the door. I was in earshot, but out of sight range. I only just managed to restrain myself from saying, "Don't worry about it. It confuses our dogs, too."

I'd rather not alienate the neighbors any more than they already are.