Letting The Days Go By

The Talking Heads provide the soundtrack for today’s post. 🙂 The song was blasting in my brain as I took these images. I realize I don’t usually show you any photos of my yard – mostly because it’s never in a fit state to display. There are always a few areas that really need attention and the list of chores is so long I can’t get to them.

Sometimes it’s a little depressing when I feel like I can’t get on top of things – but then I just get philosophical about it and do one thing at a time until I have to give up for the day. This does not please everybody passing by.

I live in a friendly place and people talk to each other – it doesn’t matter if it’s a resident or a tourist, long conversations are inevitable. Sometimes they get a little strange.

One of the more obvious areas needing attention in my yard is an old driveway leading up to the garage. I haven’t mowed it this year because it’s full of bits of firewood and I don’t want to damage the mower.

A helpful stranger (I’ve never spoken to him before but have heard of him) tackled me about it the other day. He seemed to feel quite strongly about this area of tall grass and conveyed his opinion that it should be cut down. I was polite, explained about the hazards buried in the dense greenery, and he said “well you should weed-wack it then”. You already know how I feel about the words “you should”. 🙂 I told him it wasn’t at the top of my priority list but I would get to it (it’s not, and I will).

I’m old and cranky enough that I really wanted to resort to sarcasm (Really? Wow! Who knew?) but I recognize that, although judgmental, it was being said with (I hope) the best of intentions.

The man is known for many things (a lot of them positive) but one of his favourite activities is to preach to people about the dangers posed by the most famous fallen angel. My passive-aggressive instinct is to post a sign on the garbage bin next to the road saying “The Devil Made Me Do It”. I won’t of course. I think.

Speaking of the mower. I keep saying (and I’m only half kidding) that I expect it to kill me. It’s large and very heavy and up until this year has one wonky front tire. The wheel sits at a 70 degree angle – not an issue on flat ground. However, there are a lot of hills on this Island and my property is one which is on a slope. If you try to cut across the lawn the mower leans downhill and really wants to roll over.

When my neighbour (who owns the mower) had a small stroke last year I mowed his lawn because I know it was probably bothering him that he couldn’t while he recovered. I did not, however, do the biggest hill on his property. The one which joins our two yards.

This year both of the front tires are wonky (I’m told the bearings are broken). A friend came over while I was mowing and offered to replace them. Yay!

I went over and asked if it would be OK if he did that. Robbie and I had an extended conversation about the mower, and the wheels, and our strategies to compensate for the inherent risks involved in doing our respective lawns.

At some point I noticed Anna’s head swiveling from me to her husband and back again during our discussion. Finally, at a break in our chat, she said to him “Are you telling me you’re playing Suicide by Riding Mower?”

We’ve agreed that Stanley will replace the wheels. I’ll mow again once that’s done. 🙂

All these discussions about the state of my yard (and my obvious failings) has led to a few conversations about what the unspoken rules for our neighbourhood are. I’m not suggesting I’ve polled everybody but based on those discussions and the way we all interact I think my conclusions are apt.

First we are neighbours and that means something. We help each other where possible, support each other, and look out for each other. Violence and criminality aside (not tolerated) evidence suggests we try to:

• Be Kind – you don’t know what somebody is going through.
• Don’t Judge – again, you don’t know what is going on in somebody else’s life.
• When in doubt Mind Your Own Business. LOL – that’s the hardest one. 🙂

I’m glad I moved here. 🙂