We had an extra-long, long weekend with Brett getting Friday off from work so we used most of it to focus on getting our backyard seeded. That meant calling city utilities to make sure we didn't have cables 4" below the surface, researching grass seed for this zone, checking tiller rental prices, figuring out how many trips we'd need to take to Home Depot to get everything we needed, tilling, seeding, fertilizing, spreading compost, and finally keeping it damp. It was such a process but it was so satisfying to do something as a family that we knew would make everyone happier in about a month.
Brett did the tilling with a little help from Sebastian and both kids took turns spreading seed and evening out the compost. We were outdoors almost all of Friday and Saturday working, playing, eating meals, and generally feeling so thankful for this gorious Colorado Springs weather. Things were feeling so light-hearted and easy and we were all enjoying the extra time with Brett.
Saturday evening after finally getting the yard work done Brett took the kids in for baths while I cleaned up the mess. I was picking up trash near our alley way when my heart started racing trying to place the sound of what I'd just heard. Fireworks for Memorial weekend? No.
Gun shots. In the alley. Twenty feet from me.
I paused to listen for screams and heard nothing so I opened our chain link fence to get a better look around our thick bushes when I saw a man standing in the middle of the alley with a hand gun. He turned to walk away from me calmly so I almost didn't know how to interpret what I'd heard. Maybe he was cleaning it? Testing it? But why would he do that in an alley way? I didn't recognize him.
I went in to tell Brett and then went back to get another look as I saw other neighbors poking their heads out of garages and patios. I saw him sitting in his truck on the phone. I went back inside and had Brett call 911 and got his plates as he slowly drove past our house and turned right. I went back out to talk with the folks across from us when we saw our neighbors' dog lying up against their house bleeding from her belly. That's when we all realized how serious those gun shots had been. He'd shot and killed one of their dogs.
Long story short he called the police himself to report that he'd shot the dog claiming self-defense. The police brought him back to the scene to answer questions while we all waited near our backyards glaring at him, wanting our own questions answered. Turns out he is a landlord and had been walking back and forth down the alley a few times when he claims the boxer had gotten out and charged him. The police let him go.
I gave my account of what happened three different times in two days. We'd been out there all afternoon. We've never seen those dogs get out. I was twenty feet away and heard no yelling, growling, or any commotion before I heard four consecutive gun shots. We all have kids in our homes. That dog is dead.
They're investigating further because the evidence found isn't matching up with the man's story of self-defense. I find myself going over what happened and the details that have come up in everyone's conversations with the police because it's one thing if the man shot the dog in the alley that was about to bite him but it's a completely different situation if the man that carries a serious piece of equipment on his ankle shot that dog in it's own backyard and owns a property around the corner from our house and will be around again.
Our poor neighbors. They have a newborn, he's a paramedic. He'd left for work an hour early and left the dogs outside knowing his wife would be home soon. It all happened in that short window and they were sobbing so loudly when they got home that we could hear them from inside our house. They had been building a dog run all morning and were almost done with it.
I've been having to fight back any fear that wants to come in and steal away our happy weekend outside because now I just see their empty yard full of chewed up toys and hear those gun shots when I walk down the alley.
That man stole something from that family that can't be replaced and set everyone on edge but we've gained something important, too. It almost cliche. It's brought everyone out of their backyards and into the alley talking about it. We know everyone's names and faces instead of just their cars. We were invited to have ice cream with a family three houses down that have a daughter a week younger than Ruby. We're all paying attention now.
We spent Monday at Bear Creek park around a picnic blanket giving bike riding lessons and rolling down grassy hills. I got an epic sunburn. We had ice cream and a family movie night.
I'm holding on to those things.
-Rachel
I'm Rachel Denbow, an author, e-course writer, maker, craft stylist, and general DIY enthusiast. 
