Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for January 07, 2012

I live in S.W. Michigan. I only lock my doors when I go away for a few days…but I really don’t need too…

BTW, I love the artwork on this one a lot….

i live in mich i can walk any where at any time ( concealed pistol license )

We’ve lived here in the hills of Maine almost all our adult lives. We’ve begun locking the house when we leave. Things are changing.

Hey Varnes-I am in SW MiI too, can’t you tell by my ID?

I grew up in a pretty bad neighborhood, but moved to a “nice” town when I bought a home. It never fails to amaze me that people keep their doors unlocked. When you read about a killing in some leafy ‘burb or rural outpost, inevitably a news report will quote a neighbor with some variation of, “you never think of that kind of thing happening here.” Well, maybe you should, so you don’t become the next victim.

Hey Varnes, double paw, No more snow on Halloween!!! Michigan! 50 degrees in January! I guess we will have another monster snow and ice storm in Feb like last year? I heard that the melting of the polar ice caps changes the air pressure and brings us cold air from Canada via the Jet Stream. I guess the cold air has not arrived yet.

South Valley in Albuquerque is rural but we lock our doors and put bars on our windows, I like living here, but “those kind of things” happen here all the damn time.

I know exactly how she feels!

I live in a area that is supposedly high crime. and I can walk about at night.and 5:30 isn’t late at night, unless it is your bed time…..

I used to live in North central Minnesota, when I was in high school. One weekend someone broke into my grandmothers house. We knew they weren’t locals cause they broke a window to get in. Police agreed with us cause the doors weren’t locked.

My neighbor gives me grief about the lights and locks on my house. He’s had three B&E’s in the last three years, I’ve had none.

I bet she’ll be glad when it stays light later – I know I will!!

The point is it’s only 5:30. It is still (technically) the afternoon.

She shouldn’t be alone.

I see the winter solstice and the winter solstice sees me,God bless the winter solstice and God bless me.

I commend Janis (note the spelling) for being committed to her daily walks. The local track in my neighborhood shuts down the lights when the sun sets, so no late evening walks for us! Bummer.

Janis is trying to resist the urge to get her jammies on and go to bed.

Sorry to interrupt the engaging conversation, but what the hell is the point of today’s strip?

How do you avoid being out after dark when it gets dark at 4:30?

The rottweillers may be better attack dogs, but the chihuahuas are better at warning. That yap will penetrate any background noise.

5:30 afternoon or morning? Up north it is difficult to tell, as the light is fading at 3:30 PM and do not return til 8:30 AM this time of the year.

The funniest thing for me is that, upon looking at the clock after reading the strip, the time was within a few minutes of 5:30. Awesome.

Where I’m from the criminals don’t wait til dark, you just mind your own business and pray u can get to and from in one piece!

Purple, yup. The cold air is gonna break loose eventually. And then it’ll be lake effect city ‘round these parts..Hopefully we’ll get a couple of low pressure system snowstorms, too

doublepaw, I’ve kinda suspected that. The Varnes of Ackley knows all and sees all……

Actually, as far as break-ins, way out in the country is a vulnerable place to be. Nobody around, no body to see anything….In a small town, or near a small town is the place to be… everybody knows who’s who and they take the time to notice strangers doing strange things…..The bad news? People don’t mind their own business. The good news? People don’t mind their own business…

yeah, but if anything happened to her-people would think, (and some would say) what was she doing out by herself after dark? they would be blaming the victim.

1. Self-defense classes (unarmed combat, disarming attackers) plus daily/weekly practice, practice, working out.2. Concealed-carry permits if there’s any viable excuse for applying. (In CA, even open carry has become impossible, and concealed – fuggedaboudit!) There’s no good way of recording how many tragedies have been avoided by the uncertainty of whether a ‘victim’ is packing. Yeah, there are counterexamples, but where it’s available, the numbers are less.