Welcome to my Neighborhood, Part 2

Unlike the rental house across the street from us, our neighbors on our right side have done a lot to spruce up their home. They are avid gardeners, and it is not unusual for them to be out, working in their backyard, from dawn to dusk, all weekend long. Both of them enjoy collecting odds and ends and turning them into garden art, and although I haven't been in their backyard for a couple years, my husband tells me it's fantastic! I do know they have a koi pond and a vegetable garden, and we have been the recipients of wonderful heirloom tomatoes and other summer goodness in past years.

There really are only two things that make them not quite the perfect neighbors--and really, both are kind of minimal, so we're happy to have them living next to us. But, in the interests of honesty, I'll tell you about them.

1. All that weekend work in their yard means we never have any real sense of privacy in ours, because we can hear everything they say and do, including the sound of lawn mowers, power saws, and weed whackers. And sometimes the noise starts fairly early for those of us who want to sleep in a little bit on the weekends. And our bedroom window faces their yard. Oh, and music. They listen to oldies rock and roll pretty constantly. My husband doesn't mind much because he listens to the same thing, but for the most part, I'm not one to revisit all the same stuff that I've heard before, over and over again. Been there, done that. When I listen to music, it's usually alternative rock. Or maybe I'll put on my CD of the opera Carmen while I clean house. And every so often, usually around the holidays, I can appreciate some nice classical music. But the rock and roll oldies kind of bug me.

2. The second thing? Well, it's kind of funny. I'm not sure how long ago they moved in, but it was several years back. Before we got a chance to introduce ourselves, I was sitting out on the patio one day when I heard noise coming from their yard. The fence between the yards is much too tall to see over, and I didn't pay much attention for a little bit, but it started getting louder and I finally realized they were having SEX! In their backyard! OMG! Now, several years later, seeing how nice their garden is, I'm thinking maybe it was some kind of fertility ritual?

Anyway, I'm really kind of bad at remembering names, and even though we've known them for a few years, I still have to stop and think to remember their first names because in my mind, I'll always know them by the name I gave them before we met: The Humpers. Shhhh! Don't tell them! It would be too embarrassing for all of us!

P.S.: Theirs is the house that was "ventilated" with bullets courtesy of our previous neighborhood renters.