We Are Not Alone

When we moved into our house last September we moved into a new 'sub-division'. Three houses had been completed and were on the market. Three were almost finished and one was half finished. There are also several plots on which building work is yet to start but the developer of the whole site has gone to the wall and so three of the almost completed houses had been taken over by 'The Bank'.

For four months we were here alone with the deer, squirrels and many strange comings and goings during the darker hours. Alot of them were more than likely local high schoolers looking for somewhere to 'hang out'. We had the case of the 'Big Black Pick-Up' that would regularly cruise slowly past our house before dashing off to the other end of the sub-division and then cruise back again - obviously up to no good. We also had the strange case of 'Is There or Isn't There a Body in the Woods?' which came about because we spotted another pick-up in the driveway of the semi-finished house next door and it looked like the driver was unloading something into the woods at 1am in the morning. More than likely stealing materials but when I told a friend about what had happened she immediately jumped to the aforementioned conclusion which set my pulse racing and imagination working overtime. We can laugh about it now!

One of the houses had alot of pipes stolen and another had all the appliances removed one night although I'm not sure whether that was before or when we were here. So you can see that for a couple of months I was on tenterhooks. Then I decided that it really wasn't my problem and if the bank/developer/whoever wasn't prepared to be security conscious then I wasn't going to give myself anxiety or high blood pressure and I relocated my bum to a different sofa so as not to be distracted by any headlights coming and going.

In time, either I just got used to not noticing things or the suspicious traffic declined as 'the bank' completed the three almost finished houses and lights got switched on.

Then one week before Christmas a removals van pulled up and a family moved into one of the first houses in the sub-division. One week later and another removals van and another family move into another house and I can honestly say that I have never been so thankful to have neighbours!

I still haven't met the first family properly but the second family have a son the same age as Ellie and twins of 18 months. Me and the kids all enjoyed a great play date and getting to know you afternoon with them. It seems that some other strange comings and goings will now cease....especially as the mother of the new family, while checking her mailbox esrly last week happened last week to 'catch' a couple enjoying each other in a car on their lunch break. 'It was 3oF that day', she laughed (below freezing in new money) 'And I don't think they'll be coming back this way any day soon'. You tell em! This is a family neighbourhood now you know.