Larsen and Tillman say they have also had hoses cut, the house egged, their outside lights disabled, the water turned on in the front yard and the air let out of car tires.

But this week, as Larsen was backing out of the garage on her way to work, she found the word "lesbos" spray painted on the garage door. The partners of 22 years say it's the first time that any of the vandalism has made reference to their sexual orientation, and the big red letters made them feel like the victims of a hate crime.

The couple has lived at their home for about eight years, but it's only in the last three or four years that the vandalism has been happening, they said.

Though police have no suspects, Tillman said it must be someone who knows them.

"Someone who knows us, but when I say 'know us,' they don't really know us at all," Tillman said. The couple said they abstain from public displays of affection and their relationship is an "unspoken secret."

Though their house isn't the only one in the neighborhood to be targeted for minor vandalism, such as an egging, the women, who moved to the mid-Willamette Valley in the 1990s, said the spray paint feels like a physical threat, and they are considering installing a surveillance system.

The incident was reported to Albany police, and an officer interviewed the women and took pictures of the garage door. Detectives also reviewed the case, Police Chief Ed Boyd said.

But there are no suspects, and Boyd said the department typically allocates resources to cases where there are suspects, leads and opportunity for follow up.(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)