I almost feel sorry for this guy....

In the continuing story of the property/fence/boundary line argument between Stupid Neighbors (I figured by now I should just give them that as their pseudonym) and my family, they finally have gotten the hint that we're serious about having what they placed on our property removed. First it was their kid's tree, which was moved last night. Today, it's the 200-foot by 2-foot strip of concrete that is part of their driveway/patio they installed without having permits or a survey completed. I tried to warn them that they were over the property line but they just wouldn't listen.

So now they've hired someone to come and remove that strip because we told them we want it gone and we're even considering adding another fence along the property line to keep them, their pets, and their kids' junk out of our yard. We've tried being nice but they're the type of neighbors that if you give them an inch, they'll take a mile.

This morning after I'd taken my medication and had drifted back to sleep from their side effects, I was rudely awakened by a horrible screeching noise which was quickly followed by both of the dogs trying to get my attention and lead me to the door to look outside. There, in Stupid Neighbors' driveway, was a pickup truck and three guys. One of them had a hand-held cement saw and the others were watching him. This was not the water-cooled type of cement saw that works effectively on construction sites. What he had was the type you'd use to remove maybe an inch of cement quickly without the blade overheating. It took over two hours for him (and his buddies who kept refilling the gas tank on it) to cut a line along the boundary cord we'd stretched between the survey pins and additional cuts along the side to make the slab easier to remove.

Here's something you need to know about that slab. Not only is what they need to remove 200-feet by 2-feet, but it's also between 3 and 5 inches thick depending on where they're cutting. The person they hired to lay the concrete just used a Bobcat to quickly dig-up a pad for the framework and it wasn't completely level across all areas. This poor guy holding the heavy saw -- which, by the way, is not making quick progress through the cement -- is having to cut and recut until he reaches the ground underneath. He's lucky that Stupid Neighbors didn't put a wire grid or rebar in the slab or it would have taken even longer or broken his saw.

After all of the cuts were made, the same guy whacked at the slab with a soft-headed sledgehammer (I have no idea why) three or four times and then packed-up all of the equipment and left. I figured by now he had realized that he needed heavier and proper equipment in order to easily remove the massive amount of cement/concrete/whatever that is over there.

Nope. He has returned, three hours later, with a heavier sledgehammer and a crowbar. Not a long prybar that you would use in moving slabs of concrete, but a typical crowbar that you might use in small construction projects. And he's whacking the slab with the sledgehammer and then using the crowbar to pry away small chunks of concrete.

You have to understand that I've never worked professionally in construction but I have assisted in building items for local organizations as well as studying construction theory before working in technical theatre so that I could build safe and sturdy set pieces. And I can't imagine that this person believes that his way of trying to remove this amount of concrete will be effective, especially if he's supposed to be a professional. Maybe he came in as the lowest bidder (if they even bothered to get estimates on this project), and I could certainly see why he would be if this is the way he's going to get it done.

Whereas before my house was filled with the screeching sound of a wheel slowly working its way into the cement, now it's filled with the deep "THUD" that comes from each swing of the sledgehammer and an occasional "DING" when he drops the crowbar onto the slab. I don't think he's realized that you get better purchase and that momentum will work best in your favor trying to break concrete if you stand up while swinging the sledgehammer, but I'm not going to tell him how to do his job. As long as he gets it done, removes the debris, and fixes the yard where the slab is currently, then I'll be happy. It can take him all day (or two or three) to get it done; I'm not paying for it. And it's cheap entertainment for the dogs to watch him and growl at others who come by to see what he's doing.

I'd feel sorry for him, but if he chooses to work harder instead of smarter, that's none of my business.

No, it's not an April fool -- Get rid of your tree!

I'm pretty sure we won't be receiving any holiday cards from our stupid neighbors any time soon. Or ever. Last weekend they promised the concrete our or side of the property line and their bratty youngest kid's tree would be moved. As we suspected, it didn't happen.

So, when Husband went out and confronted Mr. Stupid Neighbor about it this afternoon, Mr. Stupid Neighbor said that it wasn't his fault that the contractor didn't come to meet with them -- while they were away on a day trip to a local tourist location. Husband told him that the tree at least had to go today and even loaned him a shovel with which to move it.

Mr. Stupid Neighbor got upset but took the shovel and dug-up the tree. He even filled-in the hole that was left in our yard where it had been. That surprised us all. I figured he'd leave the gaping hole just to try to get back at us for being right all along about the property lines.

Now the gentleman who mows our lawn doesn't have to worry about running it over next time. And Mr. Stupid Neighbor has learned that if he makes a deal with us, we expect it to be upheld unless we're told about any mitigating circumstances before the deadline.

We're no fools -- and the neighbors are learning that the hard way.

I want another fence

What is it with stupid neighbors who don't understand property lines? The same ones we've been having issues with still haven't removed the concrete they poured almost two years ago that's on our side of the line. They also still haven't moved their bratty kid's tree (which isn't growing very well -- not my fault, I've not touched it).

Yesterday, the gentleman who mows our yard came and made sure that everything looks good for the beginning of spring. We even found some morel mushrooms growing in part of our yard. They're now surrounded by decorative wire fencing so that the stupid neighbors realize that (1) they're ours and (2) to leave them the heck alone. I plan on using them in something nice after they get a little bigger and I don't want their kids coming over and killing them. Our lawn mower even made sure to trim gently around them so they wouldn't be damaged and finished the yard by also making sure to trim around the line of marking string we stretched between the two pins denoting the property line between our house and our stupid neighbors.

Today, the stupid neighbors decided to mow their yard and promptly cut the string. Instead of attempting to repair it or letting us know (it is our string, after all), they threw it away. And, instead of digging-up and moving the little tree, they tried to make it better. Husband finally went out and spoke with Mr. Stupid Neighbor and informed him that we had agreed that when spring arrived, everything would be moved/removed/etc. so that we can expand our driveway to our property line as planned. Mr. Stupid Neighbor thought for some strange reason that we were going to sell him the strip of land his concrete is over the line and where the kid's tree is. He wants us to sell it to him because his property line on the other side of his house is actually inside the house on the other side of his. He never bothered to have a survey done and never knew that he bought a crappy plot of land.

Husband explained that we were not going to sell the strip of land and Mr. Stupid Neighbor said everything would be gone within the week. We'll see. But after their conversation, the bratty kids came out and were playing baseball, using our new fence as a backstop. And they nearly tripped over the metal "fencing" I placed around my mushrooms.

Maybe I can save enough money to have another fence built on our side of the line from where our privacy fence ends all the way to the pin at the front of the house (it marks the easement of the curb owned by the City). It wouldn't be a big fence. Just something nice and decorative. Something that wouldn't block anyone's view if they're pulling out of the driveway. Something that would give the stupid neighbors the idea that we take our land/house ownership seriously and don't want their kids or friends or vehicles or dogs in our yard unless we invite them.

And I don't see that happening anytime soon.

My fence! My Fence! My kindgom has a fence!

Oh, I'm so happy right now!! I didn't think the contractors would come today because the weather forecast is for rain, snow, single-digit temperature lows, and the ground is wet and crappy. But the cement for all of the posts of my new privacy fence cured well and they came and finished it!

Now I don't have to look at the majority of the massive hoard one neighbor has behind the house where he's living (he doesn't own the house, just the hoard). I can only see the top portion. And the pack of dogs in the other neighbor's yard are now invisible to me and I can't hear their barking as loudly as before. It's nice when a "privacy fence" actually gives you that -- privacy.

Just before the guys got started today, Mr. Next-Door Neighbor (who isn't the one who's caused all of the problems for us that his wife and kids have) came over and asked the contractors for a bid on their property. Guess he recognizes quality when he sees it. And, I hope, he's finally gotten over the fantasy that we're going to sell him a two-and-a-half foot wide, 200-foot long strip of land that he paved part of his patio on last year without consulting a surveyor -- making it now our two-and-a-half foot wide strip of concrete. We said we weren't selling and now he'll have to pay to remove it. He's frustrated because his wife advised him that she was correct on the placement and that a survey showed it was their property, not ours. Sadly, her eyeballing of a "line" between a post and a tree doesn't constitute a legal survey and she was wrong. Now he's upset because he realizes that I've been right all of these years that (1) their property line is not as close to our house as she thought it was and (2) my readings of the platte maps and GIS photography was correct and that the other side of their property is actually inside their other neighbor's house (because people didn't bother to survey before building).

Regardless, the dogs are happy they can romp through the yard wherever they like. Well, they would be if it wasn't so freakin' cold outside right now. Both needed lots of encouragement to go into the yard and then they only did their "business" and ran straight back for the house where it's nice and warm.

Summer will be more fun when we can stay out for hours and throw the balls and frisbees for them. And, just like any other toddler, they'll play and wear themselves out and sleep for a long time. That will be nice.

A fence! A fence! My kingdom for a fence!

Anyone who says "Backyard neighbors/friends are best" can just kiss-off for all I care right now. We moved to our house in 2009 and have had nothing but issues with the long list of people who have moved in and out of the houses behind us. Thankfully, though, my desire for a privacy fence is coming to fruition and I can't wait for it to be finished. Heck, right now I just can't wait for it to be started!

I like our backyard. Oh, it has its issues like any other -- weeds that you try to kill but won't go away; flowers you try to keep blooming every year that die quickly, etc. There's a depression in the middle of the yard that we've been trying to figure out since we bought the place because it doesn't always drain well after a large rain. It looks like there might have been an outbuilding of some sort there but we can't find anyone who knows. And with the house having been the oldest built in this area of town (it used to be the only thing out here for years), a lot of people "know" the house but they don't know enough to give us a good history. We know it had a name but that only lasted as long as the person who built it lived here. Later as the town grew, the land was divided and sold and other houses were built around it. Many people only know the house because of the way it sits on the lot. Since it originally faced a private road, the "front" of our house doesn't face the current paved/mapped road. People look at our house at first with an expression of, "Oh! How quaint and charming! They don't build them like that anymore!" which then changes into, "What's wrong with that? Where's your door? How do you get into your house?" as if we couldn't figure it out for ourselves.

We have large trees in our backyard which is very nice in the summer when they're in full foliage and provide nice shade for the yard and house. Today I noticed that our red-headed woodpecker is back again and has a smaller friend with him/her. It's up there pecking away at the same spot on the tree I can see outside from my home office/library/catch-all room. The smaller woodpecker is trying-out its skills on a small branch and keeps getting dizzy and falling off. The larger one, however, just needs a little thrash-metal music going and it would probably make a great YouTube video.

If the woodpecker is back, that means that soon the squirrels will start commuting again soon. One neighbor's boys keep asking us if we want them to shoot the squirrels. I tell them no because (1) if I wanted them shot I could do it myself, (2) you can't shoot them within the city limits, and (3) they're a great source of entertainment for the entire family -- dogs included. Our first winter here we found out just how resourceful our squirrels are because we forgot to bring inside the cushions for the small patio chairs on the front/side/whatever porch. After the first good freeze came, we realized that when we looked outside at the cushions that they were smaller. Knowing that many materials contract in cold temperatures but never having heard that about cotton and batting, I went to investigate. The squirrels had come down from their trees and ripped-into the covering to steal the stuffing for their nests. I know that's what they did because they weren't too shy to continue doing it as I watched through the window and each carried away as much as they could in their cheeks. So now, every winter, we leave a pillow that's been worn-out past its usefulness and let the squirrels rebuild their nests and stay warm.

As the days get longer and their food supplies run out, the squirrels will have to start foraging again. This is when our backyard becomes Grand Central Station. They've learned to hop from the trees in the front yard (where the nests are) to the roof and run across it to the back of the house. From there they drop down onto the weatherhead that protects the main power lines coming into the house. They trot across the lines into the nearest tree and then scurry and jump from tree to tree on their way to the big walnut tree for "work" each day. In the afternoons, they follow the same path back. You can almost set your watch by it. It keeps Harley entertained because she loves to look out the window and watch them go by. I know she secretly wants one to miss a step so it will come down and she can play with it, but I seriously don't think she'd know what to do with one if it did.

As Spring gets nearer, we'll soon hear the whapping of their new progeny against the side of the house. It's a rite of passage all of the squirrels in this yard must go through. After the adults allow the younglings to leave the nest, they have to learn the high-wire act just like everyone else. Most of the time, however, the younger squirrels don't quite have the strength or depth perception to jump from the tree back to the power lines to make it to the roof. For about a month or so we'll have a serenade of thumps and thuds against the eaves of the house as they try to make the leap and miss. Fortunately, they've never been seriously hurt and we're not cursed with squirrel carcasses of the not-so-talented littering our yard. They just get back up and try it again.

But with the neighbors behind us now, I'll be glad when the fence is up. Not just for ourselves and the dogs, but to preserve our little habitat. One neighbor just moved-in with three large-ish dogs staked-out in their backyard and puppies running in-and-out from under the house. All they do is bark and bark and bark when I take Harley and Celeste outside for their "walkies." The last thing I need is one getting loose and trying to attack either of my dogs. They won't like it too much if that happens and not only are they charged for damages to my pet but also can be arrested for the injury/death of a service dog which ranges from a misdemeanor to a felony in our state depending on the severity.

The other neighbor has been there since before we moved-in, but it's not his house or his property and he keeps trying to come over to tell us what we can and cannot do with ours. One night he showed-up on my back steps unannounced and was just waiting there for one of us to come out. He's darned lucky he wasn't met with one of the many pistols I keep handy for instances like that. Now that he's seen the fence contractors coming by to bid on the construction, he keeps saying how he's promised us that he'll help build the fence to make sure it's correct. I've informed the chosen contractors that if he begins to pester them or attempts to "build" anything on our property line to let us know and the police will have another discussion with him.

It just figures, though, that the incredibly warm winter we've been having will come to an abrupt end this week as the contractors try to get the concrete for the posts to cure. Days upon days of Spring-like weather and now we start getting temperatures in the "seasonal" range. Oh well, they have a one-year warranty on all construction and materials -- and I made darned sure that it included construction during the winter. So, if the thing starts to lean, they have to come fix it. I'm nothing if not thorough (and perhaps a little nitpicky) over contracts and making sure I get what I want.

Now I have to decide....planks facing out where I have to look at the posts and cross-beams from my window or planks facing in which could give the annoying neighbors a ladder to climb into my yard.... The city laughed when I joked about wanting a 6-foot chain link fence with razor wire on top. Too bad....it would be cheaper....

Feeling like death-on-toast lets "voices" speak.

Yay!! Jackie's feeling under the weather today, so we get to write!!

Who are "we," you ask? "We" are the "voices" from her head, and we're all trying to figure out what to post.

There are lots of things going on -- rehearsals for the Community Theatre play; getting the new fence constructed; dealing with the new neighbors behind the house with a pack of dogs that won't shut up -- and that's just the short list!

However, she's a smart cookie and has taken her medication for the day plus a flu-fighting kicker. "We" are still busy with our lists, arguments, worries, etc. But she's got a comfy couch and blankets to curl up with which allows sleep to shut us up for a little bit.

This post is just being placed here 'cause "we" convinced her that she could do this and mistakenly promised that as long as she would be able to type somewhat legibly, "we" would help keep the posts coming. "We" forgot that the laptop works in the bedroom, too....an oversight we stupidly made.

Ooh!! Puppy Bowl advertisement on TV!! That's always cute (though Jackie will deny it) but it won't be as much fun as the Super Bowl tomorrow. Gotta make sure she's ready for the game tomorrow. Youngest Son is practicing his trumpet. Husband already did grocery shopping and dealt with the dogs when they barked at someone coming up the drive unannounced. Now he's doing laundry. Harley is laying the in the floor and Celeste is staring at "us" like it's a mortal sin that "we" are posting online. And Cat is....well....she's being Cat and staying away from everyone.

And now Celeste is really starting to stare so "we" are going to go for now. Nice doggie....putting the laptop away....