How Are Your Neighbors?

[MRD]

MRD, I have enjoyed reading about your wonderful neighbors. Knowing what a caring individual you are, I truly think they'd be terrified if you went over and handed them some home-baked goods. They'd probably think you were trying to poison them! I also enjoyed Stephanie's offer of her brute-for-hire-I think we all have known people we could send over to our fellow FORTers in their times of need! veejer's idea of surprise made me spit my morning beverage on my wonderful keyboard. Your mom was probably mortified-she has to live there! I'd be mortified, but I also would be one of the first to start waving! Thank you all for making me thankful I have pretty decent neighbors.

You're probably right and they'd probably throw it out. Interestingly enough, the dogs went to the lot line where 3 of our lots meet. There is a big bush there. They would not come out. I went in after them and there was a huge amount of spoiled ham and ham bones under there. I like to have never got the dogs to get it out of their mouths and then I had to clean it up. So am now wondering how it got there and if it was intended for my dogs to get it and get sick. The other neighbor didn't put it there-she was in her yard while I was climbing under bushes and wanted to know what I was up too, so have to assume it was the "bad" neighbors. I know what happens when you assume, but why put out spoiled meat and bones and put it THERE? Weird. And who would have done it?
I am wishing for a privacy fence to fall out of the sky right on the lot line!

[famita]

I remember a couple of years ago my dog was poisoned somehow. It was not a pretty sight. She came through-the vet was wonderful! People who might do that to a pet I guess deserve their reputation.

[DesertRose]

This reminds me of a funny story. Where my in-laws used to live, their backyard was very private in the spring/summer/fall, but as only about half of the trees were evergreens the neighbors behind them could see into my in-laws' great room from their kitchen. My MIL knew the lady and she was very nice, but extremely nosy. Frequently when we'd have family gatherings we'd see her just standing there, looking at us. One time we noticed that she was using binoculars!!!!! My in-laws just used to ignore them or close the blinds, but the "outlaws" (my sister-in-law's husband and I) decided to try a different tactic. We went right up to the window, smiled big and waved our arms like mad. She backpedaled so fast and then closed her blinds. It was really funny. My MIL was mortified.

I would have done the same thing. The neighbor should be mortified, not your MIL.

This story did remind me that my father's favorite pastime was/is staring at his backyard from his kitchen window. The neighbors always had their blinds closed and we thought it was pretty rude of them, but thinking about it, they probably thought my father was staring into their kitchen.

[MRD]

I remember a couple of years ago my dog was poisoned somehow. It was not a pretty sight. She came through-the vet was wonderful! People who might do that to a pet I guess deserve their reputation.

That's horrible. I'm glad your dog pulled through. I just do NOT understand why anyone would deliberately poison an animal. That is just sick.

These neighbors have a dog too, so I can't fathom why they did this or if it was them, but where it was located, it had to be them as it wasn't us and it wasn't the other neighbors. Unless someone is cutting across my yard. There is a fence there that belongs to the "good neighbors, and the neighbors behind the bad neighbors have a fence, so the only access to this particular spot would have been through my back or side yard or the "bad" neighbors front and side yards.

[veejer]

famita and DesertRose, us outlaws mortify our MIL quite a bit.

mrd, in the recipes thread you mentioned mr. mrd trying out a recipe in the backyard before you go camping. Check your zoning first. Ours does not allow those open fire pits.

[MRD]

famita and DesertRose, us outlaws mortify our MIL quite a bit.

mrd, in the recipes thread you mentioned mr. mrd trying out a recipe in the backyard before you go camping. Check your zoning first. Ours does not allow those open fire pits.

I think we are ok. Almost every neighbor used burn barrells in the fall to burn leaves (55 gallon metal drums), so am assuming its ok to have a small fire pit.
We live just 2 blocks away from houses with horses and roosters. We're in the county, even though it doesn't look like it-subdivisions and houses everywhere, but we are not in a deed restricted subdivision and the county allows controlled fires. Oh, I'm sure they would call the cops if we did anything illegal. In fact, I may invite over all the good neighbors and we'll try out Uncle David's dutch oven recipes in my back yard and they can watch us from the doorway. (I was willing to be forgiving until the ham and dog incident and now I'm not feeling so forgiving. I don't know why anyone would throw that stuff under those bushes. We don't even have raccoons here to eat it)

But thanks for the heads up, because I do know neighborhoods where they can only have gas grills, no charcol ones due to deed restrictions.

[AJane]

MRD, is it possible that your neighbour's dog or dogs were given the meat and bones and just dragged it behind the bushes? We had neighbours with an enormous dog, and a couple of times we had baked a ham my husband gave them the bone with plenty of meat on it for the dog. If your neighbour has a pet themselves they probably wouldn't put anything harmful outside.

[queenb]

I know this is immature, but when I catch her standing at her door watching us, I move to that side of the yard and stand there and stare back until she closes her solid door (we all have clear glass storm doors and solid wooden doors behind them. She stands at the storm door in full view).

I had a next door neighbor like that until she died last year, not that i can truthfully say I care a whole lot.(Yes, she was a bitch before she got sick too, so that wasn't the problem.)

Anyway, I think you aren't being so very immature. I used to go find plants to work on right at the property line when she was outside giving me evil looks, and then I'd turn around and bend over to weed. Wanna stare? Stare at my big fat ass.

[MRD]

MRD, is it possible that your neighbour's dog or dogs were given the meat and bones and just dragged it behind the bushes? We had neighbours with an enormous dog, and a couple of times we had baked a ham my husband gave them the bone with plenty of meat on it for the dog. If your neighbour has a pet themselves they probably wouldn't put anything harmful outside.

They have a miniature daushund (sp?) that only goes outside to potty. It's hysterical watching the ritual. They open the door, put the dog down (its carried to the door), they shut the door, it takes 2 steps off the sidewalk, does its business and then goes to the door and emits one bark, they open the door, pick it up and back inside they go. We lived here a month or more before I even knew they HAD a dog. No way could this little thing have gotten that big old hambone all the way across the yard and under the bush.

It may not have been them, but its suspicous as everyone else either leashes their dogs or has them inside a fence. It's the cats roaming we have problems with and its entirely possible that the cats may have put it there.

My husband has access to lumber that is being thrown away as scrap, so he says he may be able to do something with that to make at least a partial privacy fence down that side of the yard.

It's just funny to me that they are so universaly disliked. I was talking to another neighbor today who told me that she's lived here 3 years and knows us better in 9 months than them in 3 years. Well some people are just like that I guess. I'm not going to lose anymore sleep over it. I'll be nice when I see them, but I'm not going out of my way to try to make friends. It's obvious they don't want any friends in the neighborhood.

Anyway, I think you aren't being so very immature. I used to go find plants to work on right at the property line when she was outside giving me evil looks, and then I'd turn around and bend over to weed. Wanna stare? Stare at my big fat ass.

I LOVE this. You are too funny. Since mine are so clothes conscious, I'll put on my worst looking outfit and do the same.

[Beccarella]

Bwahaha myrosiedog!!!!
We used to live in G'ville - off of NW 38th St (near Littlewood) and we had elderly neighbors like that. The lady used to cut her grass wearing high heeled pumps! My kids got a real kick out of that!
They wouldn't speak, smile or otherwise acknowledge any of the neighbors there...and I must say they were some of the nicest neighbors I ever had!
They did, however, have an old, yappy poodle and a loose board in THEIR fence that separated our yards. One day one of my dalmatians had had enough of that yapping and decided to cross on through to the other side. He chased that poodle all around the yard and she snatched her poodle up and went in the house. It was the one and only time she ever spoke to me (to come get Petey out of her yard!) and she made sure to tell me that she had to take her poodle in for a vet visit because she was so shook up! (he did not catch her or physically harm her in any way--he was like the Cowardly Lion...only with dalmatian fur! woof!)
I know I was supposed to be nice and offer to pay for the visit...and I would have...had it been anyone else but I confess, I just couldn't!
Within the week, they put up a new fence around their yard...inside their already fenced in yard! I guess double fences make good neighbors!!