The house next door is an attractive two-story, modeled after a New Orleans townhouse (the Thomas Toby house, now known as the Toby-Westfeldt house, first house built in the Garden District, 1838. Can't find a good picture). At 4 the other morning, alarms began screaming and talking, and fire trucks and police cars arrived in front of it. They were there for some while.

Lyman talked to the owners later. It was a false fire alarm. It is a beam-based alarm that goes into fits when smoke or other particles block the beam. Firemen examined the house thoroughly and found no trace of smoke or fire.

They finally resolved that the alarm must have been set off by harvest dust.

Just another quiet night in rural America.

UPDATE: Interesting note here on Thomas Toby's association with Texas.