Wednesday, May 07, 2014

You know you are at my house when...

You know you are at my house when-

It's not unusual to have to be fully dressed by 5 am, because neighbors might stop by to chat.  (One is RETIRED, and still does this!)

The road is just as likely to have a horse and cart, as a car.  Or riders on horses...

Neighbors stop on the road when they see each other, to talk.  In cars.  Blocking both lanes.  And most of the time, others wait, then might just be next in line to talk!

The conversations are as often about who has a new calf, lamb, or colt, as doings by people...

Vehicles run from cars with large back seats, to trucks of varying sizes, to horse trailers (lots of those), to farm equipment.  And you might see all of them in one day, if it's spring, or fall.  And most times, the vehicles have plastic sheeting for moving animals or plants.

Seeing a vehicle go by with hay, is no big deal.  Even if it's a Volkswagen with the bale tied on top...

Having a field on fire is now not as common, but was something that you were as likely to go out and watch, rather than call the fire department over.

Going to someone's house, you know what the neighbor's dog's name is, how many gates you need to go through, (and if they need to be open or closed), and where they might be on the place during the day.  Don't go to the house in the morning, they'll be in the barn.  In my husband's case, the shop.

The mail lady HATES this time of year.  She has been known to plan her route differently.  A mail truck full of baby chicks is NOISY!

You know which neighbor you can borrow from, be it an emergency cup of sugar, screw driver, bale of hay, or even a welder...  Or conversely, that you can loan to, and know it will be returned.

Trading goods with great regularity, Oh, you have eggs, what can I trade you for?  Skills are traded, too.

Neighbors are happy to receive veggies, but you do have to be careful not to push it, or you get zucchini logs on your front porch.  Good thing most animals like said logs...

Jams, jellies, cookies, and quick breads are very common Christmas presents!

Horses or cows out, means a group effort.  Generally, it also leads to a chat over the fence when said animal is back home, as well as a fence check, to make sure that the next animal out isn't too quickly repeated!

I hope that my neighbors love being here as much as I do...


4 comments:

Dreaming said...

Your neighborhood sounds lovely!

messymimi said...

Part of me wants that life! Part of me wonders if i'd be too far from the city and regret it. Wonder if there's a way to "test drive" that type of life, see if it fits?

stephen Hayes said...

I've never lived in the country so this is fresh material for me.

Cperz said...

Having lived on a farm when I was a kid, I always thought the practice of neighbor helping neighbor was one of the best things about rural living. After having lived in suburbia most of my married life, I am quite envious of that type of lifestyle. It's interesting that my neighbors lives so close together but we hardly exchange anything more than a "Hi, how are you today".