I am a little late getting my harvest monday post done today which I will get into below. Harvests are still pretty slim. Today we have rhubarb, green onions, little gem romaine & the little bulbs are last years forgotten garlic. I am still waiting on my peas, hopefully I will have some by next week.Now let the rant begin as to why I am late. Our neighbor who we have a shared driveway with decided to convert her basement into an apartment. The tenants then use our shared drive to access the apartment. Recently the tenants changed, they turned out to be druggy welfare cases and have been causing issues. First their buddy side swiped our porch with his truck and I had to repaint about 10' of post, balusters & decking. Tonight he decided to drive into the back again even though he was told not to and backed into my composter this time. We then had words to put it politely. Phoned the police and apparently they can't do anything, not sure what classes as a property crime! Oh and you can't forget about how the couple fight and go after each other with chairs. Seriously, why would you ever rent to people like this. We need to move to the country so the neighbors are miles away, erg!
Oh, dear. I can just imagine what you're going through! Grab Charlie, find a quiet spot to sit with her, take a deep breath and think of nice things. It won't get rid of the neighbors, but it will make you feel better, and maybe lower your blood pressure ;-) In the meantime, I'd send the neighbors a bill for the damages.
ReplyDeleteGranny - Wish we lived in some parts of the States, were you can shoot trespassers :-)
ReplyDeleteShared driveways are a PITA. It never ends well. Just hold on to the hope that they will move, and you will be stronger for the experience.
ReplyDeleteRhubarb is so on my wish list for next years beds.
A rainbow of harvests - and it sounds like you have some colourful neighbours. I have my own issues with urban living so I know your pain well. I also dream of moving to the country :) Some day.
ReplyDeleteLaura - We have lived here for 7 years and it has been nothing but problems. Dealing with neighbors plus tenants plus tenants friends is almost unbearable! The rhubarb is Valentine, it is the best you can grow. Ordered it from www.boughennurseries.net
ReplyDeleteStevie - Living in cities when houses are 10' apart sucks. I need space and quiet! Hope your country dream comes true soon.
At least the harvest is lovely. Sorry to hear you have such problems with your neighbours. Keep logging their behaviour, it may come in handy later. Living in an apartment we don't get driveway issues, but we do get the bad noise neighbours who play their music way too loud at all hours of the night. Fingers crossed they move out soon (yours and mine.) Agree on the idea of a place in the countryside - would be bliss.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful rhubarb! Mine appears to have died. It doesn't do well in southern California. And oh what a shame about icky neighbors. City living definitely has its drawbacks. In southern California, we're packed in like sardines, only 6 ft from my house to the side property line, and 10 ft to the back fence. I'm lucky to have good neighbors on both sides. Can't say the same for the noisy ones in back, but the fence keeps us separated. I feel for you and your neighbor issues. Try complaining to their landlord and submitting a bill for damages to him. It might help.
ReplyDeleteDan, Your harvest looks great. Sorry to hear about your neighbor problems. I had feared problems with neighbors when I moved here from a farm. I have been very lucky though. This neighborhood is so so quiet and everyone is really nice. We are hoping to move to the country within the next few years. We need more garden space and a bigger kitchen. You really should document everything, send them a bill for both damages and contact their landlord. I don't know how it works in Canada. But, you may have a civil matter.
ReplyDeleteGrumble, grumble.
ReplyDeleteWe had bad meth cooking, utility losing, foul mouthed, DFCS called on, jail loving neighbors before we moved here. We're still in a neighborhood, but so far, it's okay. I feel your pain. With their track record, they'll stop paying rent soon and get evicted.
Have you checked local codes? Are the houses zoned for more than one family in each? Then, tell the land lady to add the price of an awesome composter to their rent bill.
That sucks big time ! I kinda know what you're going through. There's a ratty quadruplex next door and I've had my share of ratty neighbors. Next purchase will be land oriented where the nearest neighbor is a few acres away.
ReplyDeleteNice harvest ! You're giving me rhubarb envy.
Oh goodness I just hope I don't end up with neighbors like that. That is the problem with urban living - you are so close to the neighbors you can't help but interact with them.
ReplyDeleteI love the little gem romaine. I have to grow it again next year. It grew fast and as very tasty and it was the perfect size for a salad.
Beautiful rhubarb! How jealous am I???
ReplyDeleteHonestly, rarely do I miss living in the city. I love having a half acre all to myself...and wouldn't mind a dozen more. You should definitely take it up with the landlord.
That's got to be very difficult! So sorry!!!
ReplyDeleteJoin us in Wyoming! Lots of space!
Your story makes me glad for my 1 acre of woodlot - even if it is sun challenged, it is peaceful and secluded in large part. I hope they move on soon. People like that rarely stay long because they are always running from or to something.
ReplyDeleteHarvest looks good. :D
Yikes- nothing worse than bad neighbors. They can ruin a peaceful home. On a happier note, your green onions sure look healthy!
ReplyDeleteThe harvest may be slim but it fashionably so, it looks great! I'm glad to hear that you'll be joining the pea parade soon.
ReplyDeleteGads, there's nothing worse than having lousy neighbors. But on the other hand, country living isn't perfect either, the neighbors tend to be on the wild side - deer, skunks, rats, gophers, moles, voles, rabbits, and let's not forget the predators - mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, foxes (have to keep the kitties and the chickens in at night). But I'll take the wildlife over druggie losers any day.
Nice harvest! Whatcha gonna do with the rhubarb?
ReplyDeleteAbout the neighbors....I'd have to get really ugly with them, which would probably land me in jail.
It’s too bad about your neighbors. I hope they go away soon and you get some nice ones, gardeners hopefully.
ReplyDeleteHow nice is to find a forgotten veggie from last year? It happens to me with potatoes.
You have my sympathies! My driveway is only shared by members of the HOA for 7 homes, but still there are 2 non-running vehicles in the (small) parking lot, both of which belong to the same household. Plus the residents of the apartment complex next door have broken our back fence several times (!) to use our driveway as a short-cut, despite our constant declarations that it's private property and not a road! The police suggest we replace the wood slat fence with a metal fence, as they can do nothing. My household is so desperate to move to a rural area!!!
ReplyDeleteRhubarb looks gorgeous! So sorry to hear about the nasty neighbors.. I had a chair-battling couple near me when I was in a complex, but they got evicted fairly quickly. Document like crazy!
ReplyDeleteYou know what they say you can't choose your neighbours unfortunately, we too have a PITA neighbour but fortunately only on the one side and lovely fields to the other so guess which side of the house I favour.
ReplyDeleteGot some scrummy Spring cabbage to harvest this week, really need to get some rhubarb sorted as still not decided wich variety to grow, yours looks great.
Jane
Gosh!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a night,mare.
I once had horrible violent neighbors. the husband would beat his wife everyday and use filthy language. He'd even beat up his own KID!!
It got really bad for me. Luckily I was in college and decided after a couple of months of hell... to move out.
Sheesh!!
Nice harvest Dan....wow I feel for ya with the neighbor situation... we had a similar situation 2 years ago with a rental home next door. It was not pretty...the police wouldn't or couldn't do anything about it and it took the landlord over 6 months to evict them. He actually paid them to leave...good luck.
ReplyDelete