Sleepless in North Carolina

After some quality time spent scrapbooking last night, I went to bed around ten (late for me who rises early to run). I was almost asleep when there arose such a clatter, I sprung from my bed to see what was the matter! Both pups were snoring in their little beds, and I realized it was coming from outside. I looked outside but it was too dark to see anything. The noise was like metal falling on cement. I thought maybe the neighbor's dog was in their garbage can but ruled that out after about 10 minutes of steady clatter. Surely, they would be outside taking care of it if that was the source of the noise. The noise stopped and I drifted back to dreamland. I awoke to the same noise near midnight. It was so loud! My husband came home from work just as it stopped and I described the sound to him. I suggested maybe it was a bear in the trash cans and he assured me we lived in suburbia and no bears were around. He smiled as it dawned on him what the noise was. He had been awoken by the same clatter a couple of mornings ago. One of our neighbors (not the neighbor where I thought the noise was coming from) had a new German Shepard puppy and he was playing with his metal food and water bowls on the cement patio. I wanted to know why the owners weren't out there stopping the puppy to which he replied "They work nights so they aren't home to hear it". Now it all made sense. I started feeling bad for my other neighbor who's bedroom window is just a few feet from the puppy. If I could hear it in my bedroom which was over 100 feet away, she must have been pulling her hair out! Needless to say, I am dragging today. My usual morning run didn't happen. I need some sleep!!!!!