We first stayed at our new property the weekend of March 15th when the last of our harsh winter was within reach and the hope of spring just around the corner. We had come up on a Friday morning and were at the property by 2pm.
We didn’t see a single car drive by that first afternoon / evening (granted, we were working inside; but, our house has an excellent and unobstructed view of the road; one can see the road from nearly all of the house’s main living areas). Day two – one car (in hindsight, we think that even this was the mail carrier). What!??! For us city folks, this was very strange. The morning of Day three (Sunday morning; the day we returned home) – one car.
When we saw that one car on Sunday morning, it was the first time I felt like a “nosey neighbor”. Ed and I were both sitting in our living room lawn chairs trying to decide our day’s plan. A red pick-up truck looked like it was going to drive by but then it stopped at about our property line. The guy got out of the truck and began to walk into the property on the other side of the street… What!??! We (probably me more than Ed) just didn’t know what to make of that. Was he supposed to be there? Was he up to something? We just didn’t know. About 10-15 minutes later, he left.
The trend continued. No cars (none to speak of anyway). One morning (at 5:30am), a Bobcat drove by and then returned back about 20 minutes later; dogs were trotting along-side each way. Another afternoon, an Amish horse and open buggy trotted by (it was such a beautiful sight; an absolutely beautiful black horse who just looked so happy to be alive and trotting; and, what appeared to be a younger Amish teen). If we saw one car per day or weekend, that was it. Then spring/summer came and traffic increased a little. Now a UTV would come and go (visiting a neighbor?), that red pick-up truck again, a white pick-up; a blue sedan (that always seemed to be going too fast), a maroon SUV, etc. We are starting to learn what vehicles belonged to which of our neighbors (even though we haven’t met all of the neighbors yet; it’s on our list though…).
The Bobcat belongs to the farmer who rents our land; it turns out the red pick-up truck actually lives on the property he walked into; the white pick-up truck is also our farmer’s truck; another white pick-up belongs to our neighbor; the blue sedan - our mail carrier, etc.
You really do see the comings and goings without even trying. We always try to wave (another non-city like behavior) if we’re outside. I’m beginning to feel less like a nosey neighbor and more like a neighbor who pays attention for that which is unusual.
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