Encounter with the sheriff

I got up early today, did a few chores while the weather was cool including planting some more vegetables in the garden and hanging laundry on the clothesline.  I also shot at and killed a few squirrels.  The squirrels and rabbits bred well this winter and there's dozens of them everywhere.  We have a barn cat and she's catching the mice but there's just too many critters for her to catch them all. 

Early this morning the sheriff helicopter was flying around the neighborhood.  Now my neighborhood doesn't have that many people living in it.  Our mile has a dozen houses stretched across both sides of the road.  There weren't a bunch of sheriff cars and trucks, in fact, I didn't see any, so who knows why the helicopter was flying around.  I didn't really pay a lot of attention to the helicopter since I didn't see any other sheriff activity; I just locked up the house and left to go pick up the kids from Sunday School.  Last night they spent the night at Army daughter's house and she brought them to Sunday School so all I had to do was pick them up.  

This afternoon the grand kids and I fenced in a pen in the front pasture.  Afterward they went off to play and I went back to shooting squirrels.  All of a sudden I hear the neighbor two properties over yelling at me that I'd better stop shooting at his house or he'd call the sheriff.  I called back, "I'm not, I'm shooting squirrels."  He's worse than the bitter old man who lived next door before he passed away.  This guy is loud and mean.  A couple weeks ago Girl was picking oranges next door and he started screaming at her that she's stealing and get off that property (not his property).  Anyway, I went inside and gathered the kids for dinner and told them that the neighbor not only yells at 10 year old little girls but now he's yelling at me.  I explained that we just need to be polite but pretty much ignore his rants.  Don't forget, if God is judging us at that very moment we certainly don't want to be acting as poorly as this neighbor. 

We ate dinner and I told the kids to get to bed right after dinner.  I was heading outside to turn on the water and what did I see?  The sheriff pulling up our driveway.  Great.  I went back inside and told the kids to get to bed.  The sheriff was over and I was going to be busy for a while.  I put the .22 back into the safe.  Normally it sits out on the dining room table if I'm shooting squirrels and rabbits, except when we are eating I put it on the kitchen counter.  I put it away at night and bring it out in the morning.  I always announce to the kids "don't touch the weapon, it's loaded" and you know what?  They don't touch it.   Anyway, just in case the sheriff wanted to come in I thought it wasn't a good idea to have it sitting out with the kids running around the house. 

I went outside and said hello, I assume *** called you to complain.  He threatened that he was going to do so.  The sheriff asked what was happening, my relationship with that and other neighbors, and then wanted to see the wood pile that I was shooting at.  As I was showing him a squirrel popped up it's head.  "If you weren't here I'd have shot that squirrel,"  I told him.  He kind of chuckled.  I told him normally I stand here or there to shoot.  I don't shoot towards his house or any house.  As you can see, it's over 250 feet away from here. 

The sheriff wanted to know if I was shooting my .22.  (You see, they are registered and the sheriff knows just what I own...almost)  Yes, I use the .22 rifle to shoot squirrels and rabbits.  But, I have a concealed weapons permit and I do shoot other weapons.  Not toward the house.  See the big brush/dirt pile at the back of the neighbors property.  We shoot in that direction for all practice shooting.  It's just when I shoot bunnies and squirrels that I shoot where ever the critters are. 

The sheriff then told me that the helicopter was dispatched earlier in the morning because this same neighbor had called and said that "someone" was shooting at his house.  Wow, the sheriff helicopter was looking for me!  Not really because I wasn't shooting at his house.  Not even in the direction of the house.  But he didn't tell them initially it was the neighbor two properties away shooting.  That's sort of a false report. 

The sheriff then apologized for bothering me and said he was going to go back over to the other neighbors house to explain to him that when you live in the country people are going to be shooting. 

Not a problem.  Come back anytime.  Next time I'll have the lemonade and cookies ready.  I think tomorrow morning I'll get up and shoot some squirrels...