Neighbours

I've talked about our next door neighbours that have turned their property into a construction storage zone. Our good friends and neighbours  used to live next door. They loved their house and took such good care ofit. Since they sold and moved, we've had one other owner, and then two sets of renters. The first renter was an RCMP officer who rented while their house was beineg built. Then this family arrived. Now they are not loud or noisy, no raucous parties; just fairly ' normal ' activities. But it is the yard and number of vehicles ! Sometimes 7 cars and trucks, plus two long trailers used to carry small bobcats. Then in their yard which is smaller than ours--one aluminum boat on a trailer, a black work trailer and a tent trailer ! Two lawnmowers sitting in the yard, rarely used. A pile of wood to be used in construction which looks like it has been scavanged. And now some new w indows leaning up on their little deck. Thistles 4 feet tall amongst all the other weeds ! We are constantly battling weeds coming through the fence.  

Our neighbours on our other side just moved in last year. There was a lot of yelling and screaming lasat summer. oh the fights !! Quieter this year although their children do cry a lot ! I did feel sorry for the wife, new city, new province pregnant with a toddler and no vehicle. It is hard for a young family to move into an establishd neighbourhood with older families.

Now there is one neighbour I worry about. About 3 ? years ago her husband was having an affair with a co worker. She would park up the street and as soon as the wife would leave for work, she park in front of the house, hauling in her bed linens with her !  This went on for quite a while and finally the marriage broke up. Occasionally I'd see him drive by. From where I sit during the evenings, I can only see a small portion of the street, and cannot see this house unless I stand up and move.  For me to see his  paramour and now his stalking  is just providential. Goodness knows what I have missed.  about a year ago I heard shouting and went to look out the front door. My son was just returning from a short job on a Saturday and was entering thehouse. The ex husband was banging and shouting on the front door. Her boyfriend was there. At one point he returned to his car to grab and ax. My son grabbed a baseball bat as we watched- just in case. The ex returned to the door and seemed to hesitate , deliberating whether to damage the boyfriend's car. He'd drive off and then return. The boyfriend made a hasty exit. We opened our door and stood to let her know that we were ready to help. We let her know where he was driving and when we saw him turn into the alley is when the boyfriend made his exit. She didn't call the police.

This summer he has been turning up more and more, ringing the door bell, banging on the door. Sometimes she lets him in, other times not[ very rarely] He is stalking her and harassing her. I think he has even been to her work at a large grocery store because my husband noticed two of her co workers driving her vehicle home. It looked like she was reassuring them that she had protection with her dog. I feel it is accelerating. He is an alcoholic and therefore unpredictable. One day as she wouldn't let him into the house, he went in the side gate . Since he didn't come out, we are presuming he got in the side door. Since then she has locked the gate !  We do notice his car and keep an eye on the house.  My daighter says we should inform police, but really is it not up to her to contact them  ?  I do not like the woman, but no one should live with fear.

I have another neighbour who is a con artist suing people for injuries when she is out chipping and shovelling ice, mowing the yard and daily walking her dog ! She was always sending her kids over to borrow a can of tomatoes, or a cup of milk etc. Funnily enough my pantry supplies suddenly dropped and I had nothing to lend. Our good friends did the same thing !  She knows absolutely everything that goes on in the neighbourhood, who everyone is, where they are from, what is happening in their families.  She hasn't met a person that she doesn't talk to and pump for information !

I really needed to get down on paper some things aboaut ' Dot' because I do fear for her safety.