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Personally, I think I would have stayed away from the house and left your note on the truck somewhere (under the windshield wiper?). Maybe even called the local law enforcement and told them what was up in case the property owner called them in the morning. As a property owner I'd be a little leery of someone parked at the end of my driveway at night but even more so if they approached close enough to the house to get the dog started.

Otherwise I suppose I'd have done more or less what you did: keep my hands in sight and try to be as non-threatening as possible. Maybe offer to show him some sort of identification or give him your contact information in case he has any concerns about when you're moving the truck? But mostly I'd just have stayed away from the house to begin with. You approach someone's house out in the country when it's clear everyone's in bed for the night and I think you're going to create suspicion regardless of the situation. He's got his family in the house, and his crops and/or livestock out in the fields or outbuildings, and he doesn't want to take any chances. For all he knows, you're idiots who wanted to go cow tipping -- that can cause some serious damage to a cow. In his situation I don't imagine I'd go back to bed until you were gone, although I'd try to be polite about it.