Knock on wood/keeping fingers and toes crossed, for the most part, our neighbors are behaving. They've cleaned up as much as they are going to, it appears. While it's not perfect, it's much better and acceptable (enough). For some reason, he can never start anything until after 9:30pm or later (half the time he doesn't even get home until then). For example, the other night he decides to change the tires on his pick up at like 10pm. We went out for dinner Monday night and when we got back he had moved his little car trailer from the side of the house to the front of his garage and they had their garage door open (couldn't tell if they were unloading something or loading) and appeared to be getting busy to work on something. About half hour later or so (we had gone out to water) the mayor (she also works for the sheriff dept) drove by and went to the other neighbors house for a visit. What do you know - they closed up the trailer and garage and went inside LOL. She should visit our good neighbor more often, haha! It's also been nice that most weekends they are gone most of the weekend.
It will be interesting to see what they do when school starts up in another month. The boy will be in Kindergarten (I guess he was in pre-k last year) and there is still the 3 year old who'd need watching. The wife seems to working anywhere from 2-4 nights a week. When the wife is at work the dad sometimes takes the kids with him when he leaves at 6am, meets the mom in the city at 7am, where she is just getting off her night shift and she brings the kids back home with her. Somehow she sleeps during the day with 2 little kids awake.........Or, she will leave for work, pack a bag and take the kids and is gone for several days, so has the kids being watched probably by whoever she is staying with. Obviously neither of these situations is going to work when school starts. The guy did say they found his 18 year old daughter that moved out in the middle of the night the minute she turned 18 - she is at her mom's in the city.
We see no signs of them preparing to move. Last week they hauled out a sofa bed or something. Sunday they came home with what looked like living room furniture, a sofa and chair that they moved in the house. The chatty 5 year old hasn't mentioned that they are moving again.
DH needed something to do today. He was so bored yesterday. He can't go out exploring the hills - too much fire danger time and it's too hot to do anything outside anyway. The wild fire is now within about 2 1/2 miles of our property and growing daily. About 50-60 homes closer to the fire have now been told to evacuate. There was also a notice that they will be monitoring the area near our property on a regular basis for any fire starts, as wind blows embers. There was another community meeting this morning that DH decided to go to. We haven't gone to any of the others, but since it's getting closer in, he wanted to attend and see what info they give. His neighbor buddy across the street should also be home today for his 2 weeks home from work, so that will give DH someone to chat with off and on.
DH got back as I was typing this. He decided not to go to the meeting, at least as long as it's not directly affecting our property. He stopped by for a visit with some people that live just down the road from our property. We had met them once, when we had brunch at our property neighbors house. They have a business at their property, do DH offered up his help with anything should the fire get that far. He said the wind has carried rock sized chunks of burned bark onto their property, but nothing burning. The site work guy still has his backhoe at our property (he's been too busy working the fire to come pick it up) sitting on the side/grassy area. DH moved it to the middle of the property where it's all cleared and just dirt. If the grass/trees caught fire at least his backhoe would be out of it directly.
DH emailed with our builder - just updating him that we got some site work done and the plan was still to try to get started next spring, if that works for him. He said he's never been so busy as he is this summer building houses, but has us "booked" for next spring/summer. He said he even bought a small camper trailer that he would like to stay in on our property (he lives about hour and 20 min away), while building, if that would be ok with us. DH said absolutely. Plus if he's basically living there during the week, that means he'll be very focused on getting our house done, I'd think.
I can't imagine what it would be like living in a possible fire zone (although I guess everywhere is a "possible" fire zone). I really hope it stays well away from your home. And yes, I agree with your last post about why on earth they didn't put it out when it was smaller and before it cost 3 million dollars. Stay safe. Anna
ReplyDeletewell, luckily it's just our property - so just trees would be affected at this point. But scarey for all those that have homes near it. It's not close to where we live here in town, though the air is darn smokey!
DeleteIt's not close where you live? So, it is nearer to your property? It has rained for two months here, so I suppose there will be no fires in my neighborhood that has so many trees. I have seven huge ones and six smaller ones on my third of an acre. Plus, neighbors have trees on the property line. They would burn and I am only about a half mile from woods.
ReplyDeleteIf the builder is on your property, there is less likelihood someone will vandalize it, too. Plus, he has more hours to work and more hours to stay rested so he can work.
I had almost forgotten about your neighbors.
The 2 acre property we bought is about 10 miles from where we live here in town and the fire is a couple miles past that. There's not a huge amount of homes out there, but there are some. The lot is in a 7 lot subdivision of 2 acre lots (but only one has built a home), then on each end of our subdivision and across the street is state forest land. On one side is the river, more forest and the railroad. Very rural and really, there is no theft or vandalism here at all. UPS and Fedex leave boxes right on our porch, with no worries. Our neighbors across the street sometimes leave for short periods and just leave their garage door open. The whole town is only 600 or so people (mostly retired). People leave stuff outside all the time, that where I used to live would have been stolen in a flash. People go to the post office or store and leave their cars running while they run in. I still get out and lock my doors LOL.
DeleteSo sorry about the fire. Hope it is contained soon and doesn't affect your property.
ReplyDeleteLove that the contractor plans to stay on site during the build!
It doesn't sound like it's going to get contained much at all. They are saying it probably won't go out until the end of September. Currently they have like over 400 people working on it. In the valley near it they have basically a huge tent city set up. No cooler weather or rain in sight. I love the idea of the contractor staying on site, too!
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