It was bitter cold, and I hadn't bothered to throw on a vest or coat. But the little maskless heeler is having butt problems again (i.e. constipated), so when I let her and her sister out after their dinner tonight, I went out, too, and made her walk around the corner to the edge of our property.

Didn't work.

She knew exactly what I was trying to do, but kept bumping my hand, letting me know...

"But I don't need to. And I'm cold."

As we rounded the corner of the sidewalk on our return leg, I saw the cop car pulling to a stop. And waited as the night shift rolled his window down.

Whatever he said was lost in a host of threatening heeler barks. I held my hand to my ear.

And they barked again.

So finally I had to step across the unshoveled snow into the street, and lean in close. By the glow of his dash lights I see his wife in the passenger seat.

Yeah, she rides along sometimes. Just for the company, I assume. It's okay with his Chief, and the town. Sometimes he drives her to dinner at the Mexican restaurant when he's on shift.

And that's okay, too.

For a third time he yells out the window at me, above the more distant heeler barks.

"I take it you didn't see notice of the new town ordinance!"

What ordinance? I'm worried about eldest son's old Landcruiser parked on the street, which hasn't moved since, what, June?

"The one that says you have to take your Christmas lights down by the middle of January!"

Yeah, yeah. Very funny.

Point taken, though.