New Neighbors

Looks like I'm going to have new neighbors. The place across the street has finally sold. The previous owner used the property for a gravel pit. It's in serious need of remedial landscaping. To satisfy the insurance, the new owner had to throw up some plywood on the porch to block off the open railings. He's got two weeks to put siding on the place.

The new owners plan on living there full time, so are looking to fix it up. They have their work cut out for them. The guy seems nice enough. I hope they'll be good neighbors. They are probably wishing that about me too.

It's the original piece of property that my dad owned on the lake. He bought it back in the early '70s for $4000. Back then it included the land my place is sitting on, so had water access. The new owners don't have that. My dad sold the camp to my uncle and used the money to build the original camp that's now the first floor of my house. After my uncle sold it, the place changed hands a number of times. The new neighbors paid over $80,000 for the place.

When I first moved up to the lake, there were only a handful of year round residents. There are more now, but it's still mostly seasonal cottages. Once the kids get out of school for the summer, it will be a busy place. It dies down to nothing again by September.

I'm cautiously optimistic that we'll get along with the new people.

-Sixbears