Return of a Stalker?

Peko was bugging for his nightly sniff and stroll early tonight, but it was still afterdark by the time I leashed him and we headed down the drive. One of two neighbors on the hill has acquired a dog with a large bark, and he was exercising it this evening. Instead of heading up the road, we turned down the road.

I thought I heard an approaching vehicle, so once we reached where the road narrows over the culvert, we crossed to the other side. After Peko did his business, he wanted to walk over to the pond. I acquiesced, since he had not been there in awhile. There was mist rising off the pond and drifting through the old growth. The mist reflected the light from the other neighbor's porch light, offerring some illumination.

We were about half way to the water when a pick up truck suddenly roared down the road and pulled into my drive. I thought it was going up the drive, but it stopped. Then it backed out and slowly pulled parallel to the pond right of way, blocking our exit. I stood with the dog observing all this, and then the truck door opened and one person got out and started to walk or reachover the back of the truck.

That was more than Peko's nerve could bear, and he let off a couple of "who are you?!?" barks. The guy from the truck turned and growled. I doubled my grip on Peko's leash and said, "hey, hey, hey...." in a low register with reproachment in it; to both calm the dog and let the ass know I didn't appreciate him antagonizing my dog.

He had no idea I was there until I spoke, and then he turned and jumped back into the truck, acting guilty-like caught in the act. Weighing my options, and not wanting to be cut off from the road, I decided to move forward and cut behind the truck if needed to get back to the road. I had slung the leash around my behind to keep Peko from dragging me, and as we moved forward, the truck slowly pulled away. I noticed it was missing a tailight lens cover on the driver's side-the tailights showed as one white and one red.

I initially supposed it was someone disposing of deer parts. In the past I have found a garbage bag with deer parts along the stream. Then some puzzle pieces started to come together.

Earlier in the week, the Firebird had thought someone was walking up the drive. He had seen lights at the end of the road-one white and one red-which went out.

Then there is the missing Obama sign.

And one more that I hadn't mentioned. A few days ago we noticed that my scarecrow effigy's face was stained an orange yellow. I dismissed it was the dye leaching out of the straw hat band-or tannins from the leaves we had used for stuffing. About ten days ago we had a bad storm and I found mine and Willow's collapsed on the ground and re-situated them, blaming the wind and the rain. So, I thought the stain might have been related to that.

When I was investigating the missing Obama sign, I examined my scarecrow more closely. It was a distinct possibility that the stain was urine. Well, that seemed sort of weird, and not caring for that too much, Willow and I tore the scarecrows apart yesterday. I had several thoughts on the matter-but could really only think of one person that might be disturbed enough to urinate on my scarecrow. My "friendly" stalker from many months ago. He kept coming around and was a nightmare to get rid of. He most likely holds a grudge.

I also seem to recall him growling at my dogs back then, as well.

Hopefully if it was stalker boy he was startled away tonight for good and that will be the end of it. I just wish I didn't have the edgies over it. :( Maybe I'll set up a few booby traps around the yard just in case. ;)