Things that go "woof" in the night.

On a fairly routine basis I'll walk my dog at night about 9-10 o'clock up at the local community park. It's always fairly deserted, theres a parking lot centered amongst some ball fields and picnic tables, walking the perimeter of that lot is what I'll do because it's decently lit up. Everything else is pitch black except the access road and a back road by the maintenance shed.

For the past several times I'll be walking and suddenly from in back of the ball fields will come the sound of three or four voices howling, imitating a dog. It makes me think there are some high schoolers just redassing an old man and his dog. God loves the stupid.

But it's happened no matter how nasty the weather (when I go at night I try not to pay that any mind, my dog needs the darned exercise). It goes on throughout the week and the weekends. So I have to wonder just whats they're doing back there thats so attractive? I walk those areas during the day, it's just open fields bordered by trees. Nothing back there and I've never found traces of anything to indicate any shenanigans going on, e.g. no used condoms, empty booze bottles, needles, etc.

What further piques my interest is that two weeks ago after listening to the "canine chorus" wear itself out, I shouted that they sounded like their mother when she performed oral sex on me. There was no immediate response BUT about ten minutes later as I rounded the maintenance shed one of our local cop cars pulled up on the access road and shined their headlights on me. I just kept walking, hands in plain sight, waiting to see what panned out. Nothing did. After about a minute the police just pulled out, almost as if they'd recognized me and knew I was not a thief or mischief maker that they may have received a call on.

So for about two weeks I adjust my route to stay out of the park. I figured someone might up the ante in whatever stinking game this is and I didn't want to play. It isn't so much for my own benefit, we live in the sort of town that extreme violence against an oldster would bring down the roof on whoever might be suspect. It isn't like some cities where there are clearly defined areas you don't go unless you plan on breaking the law. So I wouldn't worry about any attacks on myself.

But our dog is the kid's best friend (the wife's too!). I don't want to be in the position of explaining how "Mack" go hurt by a rock thrown at me.

But theres more to this story.

A week ago I went on my new route, walking in the vicinity of the park access road. At that time "Mack" kept yanking the leash towards the park. Figuring something had her attention I began wandering over the fields near the access road. Soon I spied five figures highlighted against the lights on that road heading up to the park. My hearing is bad but even so it was strange I heard no sound at all from them. They quietly went up the road, onto the parking lot and disappeared into the fields. I should mention they also had a fair sized dog with them.

I trailed along, just watching and staying back in the dark where no one could see me. Once they headed into the fields I went to the other side of the park and wandered over the field there.

Right now I'll admit I'm paranoid. If I told you why it would take about an hour or so but at the end you'd probably agree I've got some reasons for it. Part of this paranoia involves posing future scenarios of mischief and mayhem against myself and figuring out what my response should be. As regards this community park, there have been several occasions when I've called 911 about various events I'd witnessed. I'm known to the local cops, several have expressed gratitude for an extra pair of eyes they can depend on.

So anyway, I figure if I'm known to the cops I'm known to other members of the local populace. Maybe they'd like me to permanently alter my route and would use "persuasion" towards that end.

The scenario that plays out in my mind goes thusly; How do you put some pressure on a big fat old man with a dog? Well first you take out the dog, then you have enough muscle to neutralize the old man. What's one way to take out a dog? How about a bigger dog?

Now you know why the five gents with the dog got my attention.

The upshot of that incident was a minivan entered the park shortly afterwards, went to the area of the parking lot adjacent to the field the five figures had disappeared into, and were met by two who came out. They spent enough time conversing with the driver that I wondered if a drug deal might be going down so I once again called 911 with my suspicions.

A unit was dispatched, entered the park and stopped the minivan as they were trying to drive off. A brief conversation took place, the minivan took off and I came out of my darkened little field to chat with the cop. He informed it was a couple picking up some kids, thanked me for my concerns, stated he recognized me and that often a call like mine had a different outcome, i.e. someone would get busted.

Okey-dokey. I left the park right after that. Did I mention three men and a dog were still unaccounted for and I wasn't taking chances that someone had successfully buffaloed a cop?

So tonight, one week later, I go to the park with Mack. We get about a quarter of the way into our standard routine when the howling begins again. Whoop-dee-dew.

I don't shout anything out, I figure I'll just walk on as I normally do and when I'm in the general area where the howling came from I'll play things by ear. It was different this time, much shorter in duration than before, almost as if someone was letting me know they were there and what did I plan to do? Kind of baiting me on maybe?

Several yards into my trek, Mack balks. She digs her feet in, looks at me with a "Fat man, I ain't gonna play!" expression. Since a dog can sense things I can't, I figure a bit of discretion is in order and we turn around and go home. Maybe it's just paranoia and some kids were just redassing an old man. Maybe it wasn't.

So we got home and I told the wife about it. She suggests going into the police station tomorrow and speaking to one of our city's finest. After all this has gone on for some time no matter what the weather is like, theres some damned thing going on back in the darkened fields and you can bet it isn't a church social. The cops should know about anything strange, even if it's legal. Sounds good.

But I'll admit, I'm tempted to don my charcoal gray hoodie and take a round about route I know to that area. I'd blend in nicely with the darkened foliage, I don't make much noise when I'm quiet and I really want to know just what is going on.

I might be old, given half a chance I'm still as stupid as I was forty years ago.

So instead of acting on that stupidity I'll just write it out on this blog and go talk to the local cops in the next day or so.

Thanks for listening.