Some time ago my son Doug and I moved from our home on Carson Highway. I decided to retire, and Doug asked me to move in with him. It only made good sense. We had been talking about neighbors and this column will be about just that subject.
Those years on Carson Highway were a perfect example of what it’s like to have neighbors from “you know where.” There were four homes; each on long and narrow 10 acre plots. On our right we had a neighbor related to the people on our other side. For some reason they enjoyed driving their pick-ups at high rates of speed from one local to the other every time Doug took our dogs outside.
They not only frightened the dogs — driving way too close and at very excess speeds — they were tearing up the road. Doug finally had enough and called the sheriff. After about six calls the sheriff informed his neighbors that if they had another complaint somebody would be cited. Then the family on the right moved away. A couple moved in that I’ll talk about later. Then the ones on the other side moved too.
Their property almost had to be condemned. It took a couple of those big containers to take away debris, not only outside their mobile, but also inside. Then an older couple moved in, he a truck driver and his wife, both of them I imagine were in their 60s. There again is another story, but first the new neighbors on the right. The man worked outside of the home.
We seldom saw him, his wife worked on and off — she told me as soon as we met shortly after they arrived — as a bartender. Our property wasn’t fenced, and Doug would go out and water the trees and plants or do other chores connected with our property. Each and every time he did something a little different my neighbor would show up at our front door. Of course, I’d invite her for coffee.
Then I had to listen as she asked questions about why Doug did this or that, and why that way? She drove me crazy. Finally, in desperation I got smart. The puppies we had then would bark when she was about to arrive and I would put them out in their tiny fenced in back yard, and I would literally hide in my bathroom until she left. It was with great relief when they moved.
Now we come to the truck driver and his wife, our neighbors who were absolutely “neighbors from h--!” Since I had a column in the newspaper, I’d written about people who had too many vehicles on their property. My understanding is a state law that says you may not have more than three unregistered vehicles on your property. These folks had at least four or five cars and trucks.
One extremely hot day Doug was outside when he saw their dog, a German Sheppard, tied up in their yard struggling to get a drink from his bowl. The chain to which he was attached was wrapped around his neck and that poor dog was choking! Doug untangled the chain and the dog was finally able to get a drink. Doug had previously knocked on their door.
Then our woman neighbor suddenly came out, screaming for Doug to get — and I quote — “the hell off of our property or she would call the police.” Doug was astonished and tried to explain he was helping her dog. I had just come outside. She screamed at me that I’d been writing about them and their cars. To make a long story short, even after explaining the dog problem and the column, we went home.
Those neighbors went and got a lawyer and had a legal document made that forbid Doug or me from going on their property. They also added cameras to their roof. Near their mobile they had the large back portion of an 18-wheeler. There was only one tiny window high up on each side and we could see that a light was kept on all of the time.
Why would someone have electricity going to a trailer? Was something possibly illegal growing inside? Perhaps that’s the real reason they wanted us off their property? It was with great relief that our home, which had been on the market for just a week, sold and we moved. No matter, we now have great neighbors.
Edna Van Leuven is a Churchill County writer and columnist. She may be reached at news@lahontanvalleynews.com