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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Letting the neighbors know

When you live in a sparsely populated rural area who you call neighbor changes a bit. Around here, it’s people within about a 2 mile radius.

I’ve been letting my neighbors know that my lovely wife and I will be away this winter and that people will be house sitting. It’s not necessary to tell all the neighbors. As long as a few of the more outgoing ones know, everyone will know. Such is life in a small town.

People want to know what’s going on. I don’t want my guests to be mistaken for thieves or squatters.

Then there is the inevitable question and answer game of who they are. Everyone has a relationship to someone else. Once they figure out which family they come from, who’s kin to who, it’s all good. The guy has ties to this area so it’s fine. He has an aunt and distant cousin with cabins around the lake.

It seems that a lot of property has gone missing in nearby areas. One of my friends had a generator disappear. This was a heavy 5000 watt unit secured with a 1/2 cable. The cable had been cleanly cut. A place near him was totally cleaned out and destroyed with an ax. That’s just adding insult to injury.

Having people watch the place is nice. I don’t worry too much about property. Let the insurance company do the worrying, I say. However, there are some things that money can’t replace: one of a kind items, art, photos, and other odds and end that only have value because of the memories that are attached.

-Sixbears

4 comments:

  1. Oh so true on what is of real value and after we die, the people who get our valuable stuff may have a different opinion on what it is worth. I have pictures of the “good old days” from my Mother who passed on over 10 years ago at the age of 92 and I believe that they are priceless.

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  2. There is a prepper myth that says you will be safe if you move to a small community. There are bad and malicious people everywhere. There may be proportionately fewer of them in the country (I don't know for sure, but that is what I think), but they are there. Your contact with your neighbors shows the big difference. A far higher proportion of people in the country will watch out for their family, friends and neighbors. An important factor, as you have shown, is having friendly contact and shared activities with them. That bond of community will be a key element of survival in any emergency, large or small. Have a happy Thanksgiving.

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  3. So far, my little corner of the world has been left alone by the sticky fingers. But other parts of town have seen big increases in theft and home invasions. Whoever invades my home will not live to regret it, but I worry more now when I'm away...

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  4. Dizzy: Often value has nothing to do with money.
    Anon: We have to take care of each other out here. Happy Thanksgiving to you too.

    Craig: Most people around here are armed, so robberies take place at empty homes and camps.

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