Actually, the scraping noises are probably coming from that dog's chain. Yes, the Upstairs Stomper's dog is so big that he walks it on a chain that you'd use to lock a gate. So it's likely the scraping noises are that chain's end dragging against stuff. The "hammering sounds" could also be coming from it too.
Other than that, it's been nice to focus more on my arts and crafts. And that includes my happy blog. I have quite a few entries I can post today.