We already have a double wood fence -- unfortunately I didn't realize how much noisier it was with all the concrete in our yard. I looked into sound barriers but you have to put them up in between the fence and ours is already up with a cat fence on top of that! We have 2 trees that we planted that I think are evergreens and 2 bamboo and 3 queen ann palms.
We have a water feature on our pool.
Bobodaclown -- these are the same neighbors who had a cow that we ruined their side of our shared lawn while installing our pool - even tho we had their permission to do so and told them we would put it back. AND we did and made sure it was to their specification. However, they have turned into a decidedly petty lot who are the type to not talk to you rather than be mature and tell you what the problem is. They are way too old (late 30s and early 40s) to behave this way. I wanted to try and resolve it without having to say anything to them bc I am about to have to say something to them that their $&#*^$#*&^%$ dog that is barking again. As an example of petty, we stained our fence. They had stained their fence previous to us -- like a year previous. However, the side piece - the one that faces out, they didn't stain it so we did. Then one weekend, they took the board down, made a point of leaning it against the side of their house (we live in a cul-de-sac) so we could see it and replaced it with Their board with Their stain color on it. PETTY.
And also, after their pool was finished in April of '13, they did not once invite us over.