I used to enjoy my back yard. The neighbor's behind me never used the pie-wedge of land between me and the creek. I think I've mentioned before it was overgrown with blackberry vines and English ivy. I held them both at bay by chopping them off as they inched through the slats of my picket fence.
Earlier this year the city demanded my neighbor's clear this section of land since both the blackberries and the ivy are invasive plants. I don't know who in the neighborhood turned them in, could have been Birdlady, but I don't think so, the area is very secluded and not easily seen by the public. However, bowing to the city's ordinances, the land has been cleared.
I've also mentioned here that over the last couple of weeks I was informed by the folks owning the property they are going to get their kids some chickens to care for and I was told if they started laying they would share eggs with me. No problem I like eggs. Besides, it is their property, they can do whatever they like.
A week ago a new structure started going up. I'm not sure what it is going to be. At first I thought a playhouse for the kids, so far it is a flat roof wedged between four trees over the concrete slab where the park benches used to be. I've been informed a high fence will be going up as well to keep the chickens where they belong. That too, is okay by me.
However, there is one grey cloud in all of this at the moment. My backyard privacy is gone. Quite often when I go out someone is in the pie wedge doing something (pounding nails, sawing lumber, climbing a ladder). I never know if I should speak, or pretend I don't see what's going on. Take for instance last night. I was in the process of closing up windows in the sun room, Zorro was out back. He started to bark, I went to the door to call him in and was greeted by a half a dozen faces I did not recognize. The kids were trying to get Zorro to come to the fence. I was trying to call him into the house. There was a stalemate.
Talk about awkward. I finally, embarrassingly, said hello, and as I, without my dog, was retreating into the house, the strangers were clumsily trying to retreat across their bridge as well. I went through the house to my sliding door to let my nervously pacing pup in.
I have to say I'm going to be thrilled to have a new fence go up...hurry, hurry, please hurry. My back yard garden is wilting because I'm uncomfortable setting up a sprinkler, I don't want the water to go over and through my picket fence and wet all the tools, etc, left unattended and uncared for on the ground. Plus, I never know if someone is going to be back there, and don't want them to think I'm being nosey, checking up on their progress. In such close proximity, I can't help but see.
You've no idea how wonderful it is going to be to have my privacy back. At the moment, I find myself slowly inching into my yard, hoping if I see someone back there, I can quietly slink back into my house without being seen. Come on fence! Oh...shoot...I just had a thought...what if they choose a chain-link fence?
Oh dear.
I'm crossing my fingers and my toes, and will keep hoping it's going to be a wooden one and at least six feet tall. What was it that Robert Frost said? "Good fences make good neighbors." One six feet tall, made of sturdy wood, that kind of fence will most definitely make me a good neighbor.
No comments:
Post a Comment