unrealtrip
Member
Quick background: we have a big German shepherd, I normally get either my .45 or the 12ga from the safe and put it by the bed every night, then lock it up the next morning before leaving the house, I get it back out when I get home. For one reason or another, I got lazy and didn't get it out that night.
My wife had gone to bed while I stayed up to watch a movie. Alas, I fell asleep on the couch anyway. At exactly 4am my wife came running down the hall yelling at me to wake up (I sleep like a log) There was an extremely loud crash that sounded like it came from the master bathroom (ground level, window opens to backyard) on par with someone taking a metal garbage can and throwing it on concrete. The dog was moving around spooked out and I was groggy having just been woken up. The living room is clear on the other side of the house and around a bend, so I heard nothing and as mentioned, I sleep like a log.
I got a flashlight and she hid behind me as I went back to the bedroom to investigate turning lights on as I went, my first thoughts were strangely not on acquiring a firearm, but purely on situation assessment. The window was closed and everything seemed normal, but after she described things in more detail I got a little more concerned and decided I should investigate the backyard as well for the source of the sound. She stayed in the house while I opened up the back door and went into the backyard. I let the dog come with me and she ran around sniffing and investigating. I was shining my flashlight into the dark when I realized, *** am I doing and I went back in the house and grabbed my .45 out of the safe.
I came back out with the .45 and the flashlight and continued searching around and noticed what was likely the source of the crash. Near the bathroom window were several large aluminum beams that are part of a yard canopy assembly. I couldn't tell if one had been knocked down or not as they were somewhat scattered before, however it would take something quite large to move one. At this point I realized I couldn't hear my dog any more. I called out to her. Nothing.
Now I was kinda worried. I ran around the corner of the house and saw her intently sniffing at a large tree we have near the fence. I rounded her up, did a final sweep of the yard and went back inside. Until I fell back asleep, staring at the window to the backyard I kept imagining that a man's silhouette would appear. Thankfully it never did.
So from that experience I've changed a couple of things. I'm not lazy any more about getting a gun out when I get home and next time I'm going to assess the situation armed...
And I have thought about it since then and have considered the possibility that someone was in the yard and made it over the fence at the tree.
My wife had gone to bed while I stayed up to watch a movie. Alas, I fell asleep on the couch anyway. At exactly 4am my wife came running down the hall yelling at me to wake up (I sleep like a log) There was an extremely loud crash that sounded like it came from the master bathroom (ground level, window opens to backyard) on par with someone taking a metal garbage can and throwing it on concrete. The dog was moving around spooked out and I was groggy having just been woken up. The living room is clear on the other side of the house and around a bend, so I heard nothing and as mentioned, I sleep like a log.
I got a flashlight and she hid behind me as I went back to the bedroom to investigate turning lights on as I went, my first thoughts were strangely not on acquiring a firearm, but purely on situation assessment. The window was closed and everything seemed normal, but after she described things in more detail I got a little more concerned and decided I should investigate the backyard as well for the source of the sound. She stayed in the house while I opened up the back door and went into the backyard. I let the dog come with me and she ran around sniffing and investigating. I was shining my flashlight into the dark when I realized, *** am I doing and I went back in the house and grabbed my .45 out of the safe.
I came back out with the .45 and the flashlight and continued searching around and noticed what was likely the source of the crash. Near the bathroom window were several large aluminum beams that are part of a yard canopy assembly. I couldn't tell if one had been knocked down or not as they were somewhat scattered before, however it would take something quite large to move one. At this point I realized I couldn't hear my dog any more. I called out to her. Nothing.
Now I was kinda worried. I ran around the corner of the house and saw her intently sniffing at a large tree we have near the fence. I rounded her up, did a final sweep of the yard and went back inside. Until I fell back asleep, staring at the window to the backyard I kept imagining that a man's silhouette would appear. Thankfully it never did.
So from that experience I've changed a couple of things. I'm not lazy any more about getting a gun out when I get home and next time I'm going to assess the situation armed...
And I have thought about it since then and have considered the possibility that someone was in the yard and made it over the fence at the tree.