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It was one o’clock in the morning when I was
awakened by the sound of a howling dog—and again at three-thirty.
The next morning, in a different state of
consciousness, I wondered if I really was awakened by a howling dog or if it
was only a bad dream.
I called
my neighbor to confirm.
“Were
you awakened in the night by a howling dog?”
“Yes,” my neighbor answered in an irritated tone.
Just to be sure, I called another neighbor who also
heard the howling dog. Yet, none of us were sure where the howling came from;
we only knew it came from below. We live on the rim of a hillside overlooking a
cul-de-sac of houses referred to as the bowl.
The bowl is known for its amazing acoustics and
long before our homes were built, the bowl was used as a stadium for the rodeo
and other events. When I stand in my backyard, I can hear clearly the
conversations of my neighbors and they can hear mine. We’ve had some fun with
this over the years. On the fourth of July, a visiting tenor and member of the
Mormon Tabernacle Choir stood on the deck and sang the Star Spangled Banner. My
daughter played her violin on spring days when windows were open. Above the
bowl, I have been entertained by heated baseball games among brothers and a
drum concert from a talented percussionist.
Wonderful acoustics aside, it is a pernicious
environment for a howling dog in the middle of the night.
The next evening, the howling started at eight o’clock
and continued in fifteen-minute intervals. I started to not only worry about my
impending sleep deprivation, but I also feared for a dog that might be in
distress. I decided to get in my car and drive around the neighborhood.
On my way to the garage, I decided to first check
my own backyard.
My step into the chilly night air coincided
perfectly with the dog’s howl. I was startled by how close it sounded. I walked
down a flight of stairs and opened the gate. There it was! The howling, frightened
dog was in my own backyard. Fortunately, it was beagle I recognized.
A few phone calls later and the story emerged.
Charlie, the offending beagle was missing for two days. Its owner had been
searching the dog pounds, shelters, and the surrounding hills. The owner’s four
children had been praying every night for Charlie’s return.
I think of my irritation because someone let his
dog howl through the night. Then I think of the neighbor’s below my house, who
knew where the all-night howling was coming from-my house! I think of their
irritation, complaints and patience. Two days worry about someone else’s
problem when it was really my own.
I have a good laugh because there is little else to
do. But I keep hearing my sister repeat an old adage she is quite fond of,
“Clean your own backyard before you clean mine, or in Biblical prose: And why beholdest thou the mote that is in
they brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
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