It's interesting to see the land parcel sizes "around" mine. The first lot, as one turns onto the road, is only .27 acre, the neighbors adjacent and south of me have 1.11 acres, those adjacent and north of me have .69 acre (and chickens), and the two parcels "behind" mine, west and northwest, are 3.89 and 3.69 acres. I don't know the sizes of the parcels on the other side of the road, or to the north of my next door north neighbors.
I did some more schmoozing of the folks to my south (the ones closest to the coop and rooster noise) last night. It was a very positive experience. The lady of the house actually
hugged me when I headed home. Given that I am not normally a hugger and I certainly didn't initiate the hug, I found it propitious.
I'd seen they were out on their patio, so I cleaned the nice glass which shed sent home with me last time, when it was full of iced water (because I hadn't finished it when I left) and filled it to the brim with some fancy, individually wrapped chocolates. Plus, I took a clear six-egg container with half a dozen colorful eggs...
Family members from two other states were visiting (and would be sleeping in an RV on the property) for an upcoming wedding this Saturday. Here's the synchronicity: their nephew (son of visiting in-laws) is an officer working not only for the same agency as my employer, but he's assigned to the same HQ building where I work, upstairs! Well, hey, howdy!!
Whilst there, I was served a glass of nice Chardonnay and provided a comfy chair. That was even before we discovered the connection to the young man getting married on the weekend. The lady of the house is still bothered by my roosters' crowing, but she said she has learned to close the bedroom window when the 4:20 AM chorus begins. Her in-laws from Georgia and Arkansas interjected, nearly simultaneously, "Oh, you'll hardly even notice them in a couple of months!" She obviously didn't believe that prediction, and I acknowledged that "some people never learn to like the sound of roosters. Please let me know if it just doesn't get any better for you."
(Dunno what I'll do about that, but it sure sounds helpful, doesn't it?)
The man of the house offered me a cigarette, which I accepted. Both he and his wife are smokers, and seemed gratified that I am one, too.
I was quizzed by the out-of-state gals as to my "origins.". California born and bred (or is that "bred and born?") and only recently moved to the foothills from Sacramento, where I still work. That's when we found out the groom and I share the same employer and facility.
Some discussion about the recent tragedy of the little girl abducted by her natural father and both found dead in his car out here on a rural road, behind a locked gate. The officer is one of many assigned to the section which disseminates Amber Alerts. Sad, sad case. But folks who never heard of Somerset now kinda have a clue where it is....
They've started feeding a stray cat another neighbor had actually seem dumped from a car some weeks ago. Gorgeous feline. The conversation steered off into various other subjects, but eventually I had to say my good-byes because I was getting skeeter-bit. I left with an empty grocery store egg-carton to "re-fill with better eggs" and lots of cheery "be careful on that driveway" warnings. Next time, I'm supposed to walk up the "back" way, and come around the house, as it is far less steep. All righty, then.
