midnight prowler

At 0030 last night Beagle Brain went off as if the zombie apocalypse had begun at our door.

In a flash I had my robe on and was in the front room.

The motion-detector flood lights were on, but everywhere I looked was vacant of mammalian beings… or anything at all visible but the snow, river and trees that normally occupy our riverside yard.

Yet Beagle Brain was barking at extreme pitch, far more so than the normal ‘won’t shut up cuz there is a deer walking in the woods’.

I continue investigating, then see a flash of a man walking by our front window! Briskly.

I dash to the side window to catch a retreating view… big parka, fur-faced hood hanging behind his head, blonde-ish wavy hair on top … then he’s gone.

It was minus ten (-10 F), yet he didn’t even need his available hood.

I spent the next hour dressed, armed, holstered and sitting in the dark house to make sure we were alone.

Plenty of time to think of holes in our security system.

I have some work to do right away. *

… meanwhile …

I lodged a prowler report with the Sheriff’s office this morning.

I also investigated the tracks in the snow. prowler at our door footprints video
At 0030 last night Beagle Brain went off as if the zombie apocalypse had begun at our door.

In a flash I had my robe on and was in the front room.

The motion-detector flood lights were on, but everywhere I looked was vacant of mammalian beings… or anything at all visible but the snow, river and trees that normally occupy our riverside yard.

Yet Beagle Brain was barking at extreme pitch, far more so than the normal ‘won’t shut up cuz there is a deer walking in the woods’.

I continue investigating, then see a flash of a man walking by our front window! Briskly.

I dash to the side window to catch a retreating view… big parka, fur-faced hood hanging behind his head, blonde-ish wavy hair on top … then he’s gone.

It was minus ten (-10 F), yet he didn’t even need his available hood.

I spent the next hour dressed, armed, holstered and sitting in the dark house to make sure we were alone.

Plenty of time to think of holes in our security system.

I have some work to do right away. *

… meanwhile …

I lodged a prowler report with the Sheriff’s office this morning.

I also investigated the tracks in the snow. prowler at our door footprints video

He spent some time at our front door, some at our back door, some in-between, before walking up the lane to the home at the other end of our driveway…

Where at 0100 a flipped-out druggie who they knew, woke them up, shook them up, then got a ride to town to get rid of him.

He is unlikely to repeat, but I appreciate the wake-up call.

… ToDo …

* One more motion-activated floodlight to cover the area the other two missed.

* Far less ambient light in our house. Tactically ugly to be well-lit inside while those outside can watch your every move.

* A nice chat with the neighbor today was part of a good plan of continuing to strengthen neighborhood friendships. Keep that up. Get more names/numbers on our neighborhood emergency call list. Be ready and willing to help them in turn.

* Need to add a couple of motion-triggered trail cameras to log visitors. If someone is casing the joint, this is a good way to know of it, and have images of who-do-there.
He spent some time at our front door, some at our back door, some in-between, before walking up the lane to the home at the other end of our driveway…

Where at 0100 a flipped-out druggie who they knew, woke them up, shook them up, then got a ride to town to get rid of him.

He is unlikely to repeat, but I appreciate the wake-up call.

… ToDo …

* One more motion-activated floodlight to cover the area the other two missed.

* Far less ambient light in our house. Tactically ugly to be well-lit inside while those outside can watch your every move.

* A nice chat with the neighbor today was part of a good plan of continuing to strengthen neighborhood friendships. Keep that up. Get more names/numbers on our neighborhood emergency call list. Be ready and willing to help them in turn.

* Need to add a couple of motion-triggered trail cameras to log visitors. If someone is casing the joint, this is a good way to know of it, and have images of who-do-there.