You know the ones. The neighbor that knows all the interesting stuff going on in everyone else's driveways. Front yards. Through the front windows. And wishes they could be a fly on the wall inside those homes just for a few harmless minutes to find out wth is going on. Those neighbors.
When we were looking at this house to buy it five years and two months ago, the then-home owners told us about the across the street neighbor who was basically the neighborhood spy. We were thrilled! If you want a safe house, where better to be than right in front of the guy who is checking out every person that drives down the street, or better yet happens to stop. You would pay a fortune for that kind of security detail. This was a huge plus in our book.
Turns out, there is not just one neighborhood spy on our street. There is another! Oh. My.
It just gets interesting-er and more interesting-er. This person likes to check things out too. Only not as up front about it as the other one. This one actually has binoculars. This means spying can be done from longer distances and in more of a stealth mode, don't you know!
The binocular-wearing neighborhood spy claims bird watching as a hobby. And let's be fair, there are a ton of birds here to watch. Tons of birds. All sorts of birds. If you had a catalog of all the birds in North America, this would be the place to find 80 - 90% of them.
And the original neighborhood spy? He is the sweetest, kindest person ever. He patrols our street all the time, he helps neighbors bring their giant trash bins up and down the driveways, he rescues loose dogs and cats, he brings water and cokes to workmen who are doing jobs at other people's homes. (and of course, he tells them how to do that job better, more efficiently, or faster)
And I hope to be as good a neighborhood spy as he is when I get older. For now, I will just take my binoculars to the backyard and watch the hawks making low, slow, lazy circles as they scan the neighborhood for prey.
Love,
Gladys Kravitz II - in training
I'm definitely conflicted on nosy neighbors. Probably for two reasons, I think. (1) your brother is the most secretive person ever. If we could have a fortress wall built around our house, we would. (2) our nosy neighbor in Phoenix was MEAN! She didn't like how Chris put out the trash bins one day and gave him hell over it.
ReplyDeleteBut I do agree it's good security ;)
Her name is Jane. Ten years ago, when we went to look at our soon to be house, before we put in an offer, the whole street had heard about us. Turned out well as we didn't have our household goods yet, so they all came over with sleeping bags and pillows and stuff. Gotta love retired military folk!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, she was the worst! Coming in the front door without knocking. One time she went in the back door of another neighbor, whose husband happened to be in the "reading room" right there and she proceeded to talk to him through the bathroom door.
She doesn't have my email address now that I've moved. Shhhhh! Don't tell!
Oh Dawn! That is horrendous! No wonder that house was up for grabs, she must have run some folks off. Doesn't Jane know that coming in a house unannounced will get you shot?
ReplyDelete