Ol' Yeller

It's late summer in the Hippest Town in the West.

Blue skies. Light breeze. Kids playing outside. Yards being mowed. And our neighbor, Ol' Yeller, shouting at a distant dog. We all have sounds that provide context. If we were to close off our other senses and just hear these sounds, we'd know where we are. Ol' Yeller is one of mine. His yawp reassures me that I am home.

Shhhh...He lives just through those trees. If you look closely... you might actually see him ruling from his deck.

He bellows from the boudoir to reaches far away. He crackles from his computer command center. He spits out his toothbrush and whinnies from his window. In a twisted conjuring of the Royal Family greeting from the Palace, he explodes from his deck. His holler is his royal wave.

Some days I hear him yodel angrily in my direction only to follow up with an encore in the opposing direction. He interrupts outdoor programming with blaring announcements that he "wants IT QUIET!!!" Whatever "it" may be.

Once "it" was mine. The four legged sprinkler gallumped outdoors in pursuit of an animal. He barked his canine proclamation of, "My yard! My yard! My yard!" (He's a dog of a seldom few words because it would require too much effort. Effort which may drain him of the energy needed to sink his chops into the kitchen garbage.) That's when Ol' Yeller entered the auditory picture and I realized how effective his bawling truly is.

"I want that dog QUIET!!!" the trees roared.

All four adults were silenced. The Gallump was hushed but that's only because he'd said what he had to say. Just in case, he was shuffled inside. Ol' Yeller was not heard from again that evening.

I am bit embarrased for O.Y. because I do know him. His kids are great kids, he is always friendly when we see him and so is his wife. Does he not know we know where the shouting comes from? He is fascinating. It is as if he thinks the big NW trees will confuse the rest of us as to the origins. The topics tend to alternate between shouting at barking dogs and his children. He has yet to take on the traffic noise or blue jays but I wait expectantly.

I am completely truthful when I say this sound means home. It is simultaneously disturbing and entertaining; reassuring and unsettling.

A year ago, the Ol' Yeller family concluded that their 2400 sf house was simply not large enough for the four of them. So an additional 1,600 sf was added on along with a lovely water feature. I am so happy for them. Bigger is better. Now they each have 1000 sf to themselves and he has yet another deck from which to perform. The entire addition has sweeping views of our dining room/living room/kitchen/deck/ and even our entry closet. It feels a bit like living in the same pond as Yurtle the Turtle. Only Yurtle was quieter, I am sure.