Let's hear it for good neighbors!

[bfitz3]

Reading the news... I'm tired of negativity on the national scale and want to hear more good local things! So, here's my good news for the day...

I was talking to a neighbor that crosses my property to access state land for biking and x-country skiing. I've never asked a thing of him. As we talked, I mentioned that I had impassable logging trails that kept me from really utilizing my property. He rides off, calls another neighbor I've never met and before you know it, "this" shows up! I spent the night clearing paths in the 'easy' places to get used to the beast. Tomorrow, the tough paths begin. Later, access to places I never could have gotten to.
Now, in addition to getting to meet another neighbor (he lives a mile away, which is pretty dern close as far as neighbors go here) I have it for a week to do with what I may, free of charge!

Big picture... I know my politics and those of the 'biker/skier' very well and can guess the same of the 'new' neighbor from what I've heard... The three of us are all over the spectrum. Somehow, despite the fact that we are supposed to hate each other, we don't! So...

To neighbors!

(Share something positive if you would...)

 

[DoubleB]

Nice thread, thanks for starting.

Just got back from across the yard from one of only a few neighbors here in the countryside. All their young kids are our kid's same ages and play together. Share birthday parties together. We're not originally from the area but their extended family have adopted us in and taken great care of us. Job opportunity tried to pull me to a different state and we considered it but the thing we would have missed most was the neighbors. It didn't work out for other reasons but we're very relieved to stay put right next door.

I don't see the other neighbor as much but he's always as friendly as can be. I've had very hostile and threatening neighbors in recent years, but I can hardly remember that in part due to my current neighbors.

 

[CheapBassTurd]

I knew we weren't gonna get anywhere positive with next door when we moved in.

After closing, we came up here to just plan stuff and have a happy day.
We're in the front yard down by the road and he rolls up on his 4 wheeler,
crosses his arms, and says "Can I help you pal?" (Oh, boy..........) Getting
a very bad feeling about Mr tough guy I just politely answered that I just bought
the place and please get that thing off my lawn, and the driveway was made just
for that very purpose.
Days later me and the boys offloaded the dirtbikes and began shredding. LOL
Kept the peace 5 years but certainly no friendship. The dude moved and a family
with kids n' dogs just like us moved in

Prayers DO get answered, even if it took 5 years.

Bfitz,
That machine is a dream come true !! I woulda made some roads too, as well a knocking down
some deads....... a little land shaping, knock loose smaller stumps, level the driveway, etc.

 

[Lake Girl]

Politics should never enter into it ... The year round neighbours here tend to do things like that for each other. We have a Bobcat excavator that has been down at a neighbour's house for the last couple of years. He uses the PTO to power his splitter for winter heat. Since he has a bad back, he paces himself on how much he does at once. He's helped us with some of the leveling and hauling of materials at our corner yard. Give -n- take!

 

[lost in the woods]

now when you get done with that dozer. . make sure its filled with fuel for him! at least that's what we do here in PA.

off road fuel is about as cheap as it gets right now. . . that or try to give him some cash to cover the fuel. . . which he probably wont take anyway

I am getting a new neighbor at the end of this month. . . he's in the tree service business. . .

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

now when you get done with that dozer. . make sure its filled with fuel for him! at least that's what we do here in PA.

off road fuel is about as cheap as it gets right now. . . that or try to give him some cash to cover the fuel. . . which he probably wont take anyway

I am getting a new neighbor at the end of this month. . . he's in the tree service business. . .[/QUOTE]

Lucky you!

 

[Bad LP]

now when you get done with that dozer. . make sure its filled with fuel for him! at least that's what we do here in PA.

off road fuel is about as cheap as it gets right now. . . that or try to give him some cash to cover the fuel. . . which he probably wont take anyway

I am getting a new neighbor at the end of this month. . . he's in the tree service business. . .

Don't forget to grease it everyday before you use it.

 

[webfish]

Wife went to garage sale. 15 minutes from house. Picked up some pallets for me.The guy loaded them in the truck and asked why? She said we burn wood and use it for stacks. He said they were moving and did we want some big red oak? Wife said sure. I brought my splitter a few days later. He said he would help. He used his skid steer and brought me every one. They were huge. I still had to split them all but when my truck was full I said I would come back with trailer.

He said no. Hooked up his trailer and we loaded it. Followed me home. I offered money for gas, his time, etc...

He said "No Way" I was doing him the favor before they moved and wanted it out of there.

Good neighbor.

 

[bfitz3]

Done with the dozer. Tanks is filled. Regreasing about 42 zerks tomorrow. At the end of the day, I made two new loops, 6 spur trails, and made a few hundred yards of logging trails passable for the tractor. Snowshoeing will be that much better this winter, and I have access to a surprising number of big beech, soon to succumb to beech bark disease. I never could have gotten them until now. The beech alone could net me 10-15 cords.

Also of note... One neighbor stopped by seeing the dozer, he needed help with his drive. I couldn't loan someone else's dozer, but he left with my boxblade. A second neighbor saw me out there and invited me over for after dinner pie. Finally, got a message from the original neighbor who saw the work I had done and mountain biked the new/improved trails to great approval. He also invited me over to harvest excess apples from his trees.

Life is good.

 

[bfitz3]

1. 
2. Not the best pic, but the trail is awesome! Meanders up a hillside with lots of twists. It was all but unhikeable when I started. Now, I can walk it, run it, or get the tractor in and out. Soon to die beech is not that great, but will burn great.

Also, the pie guy and his wife walk heir dogs back there... They will love it.

 

[CheapBassTurd]

I used frankentractor (pictured at left) to make the area in the background passable.
The property line was a WALL of undergrowth and young forest. Used to be treed
pasture hence the wonderful supply of free wood. I spent two summers destroying
the tractor and having a blast doing it. No brush hog either. Progress was measured
in inches sometimes. Ram forward till the blades caught up, repeat. 3 acres of groomed
forest and we have our own personal park. (It's our land now.) The kids, dogs, and my KLR
all love it. Frankentractor was retired after that, and 14 tire plugs. Everything up to an inch
in diameter was fair game too. Hadda remove and beat the blades back into shape a few times.
We literally couldn't even walk in before. Tangle of vines, long tall thorny thingies,(there's yer tire plugs),
and skinny dead limbs everywhere led to some great bonfires. Today it can be walked barefoot.

My old neighbors and I actually discussed big purchases. Hope we get the same thing going
with this neighborhood. I bought a group drill press, next door bought the group pressure washer,
3rd guy hadda lift w/ shallow pit and air pressure in the garage, etc. We traded favors all the time.
I could mow all three at once. Gary had the beer, Craig had other additions, summer evenings
were a group hangout 4 or 5 nites a week. Hoping for the best up here in farm 'hood. The new
peeps look normal and fun.

CheapMark

 

[firefighterjake]

. . .
Reading the news... I'm tired of negativity on the national scale and want to hear more good local things! So, here's my good news for the day...

I was talking to a neighbor that crosses my property to access state land for biking and x-country skiing. I've never asked a thing of him. As we talked, I mentioned that I had impassable logging trails that kept me from really utilizing my property. He rides off, calls another neighbor I've never met and before you know it, "this" shows up! I spent the night clearing paths in the 'easy' places to get used to the beast. Tomorrow, the tough paths begin. Later, access to places I never could have gotten to.
Now, in addition to getting to meet another neighbor (he lives a mile away, which is pretty dern close as far as neighbors go here) I have it for a week to do with what I may, free of charge!

Big picture... I know my politics and those of the 'biker/skier' very well and can guess the same of the 'new' neighbor from what I've heard... The three of us are all over the spectrum. Somehow, despite the fact that we are supposed to hate each other, we don't! So...

To neighbors!

(Share something positive if you would...)

The problem as I see it nationally is that many folks are pretty good at being good and decent neighbors . . . helping each other out, one person helping out another without expecting anything in return (but getting that favor returned 9 times out of 10) and putting petty politics aside for the greater good of the neighborhood and community.

For some reason we often have trouble taking that same level of community involvement to the next level . . . thinking of our fellow man in places further off and not realizing that while it's OK to have different beliefs religiously, politically, etc. we still should treat each other civilly and realize that most of us share many of the same core beliefs -- hoping to get ahead, helping others when we can, wanting the best for our children, etc. Maybe the reason for this is because it is easier to blame and point fingers . . . or maybe it's because it's easy to get on a forum, type on Facebook or write comments on a newspaper article on line without having an actual person in front of one -- especially someone you may know.

But I digress and didn't mean to turn this thread into a comment on our political situation today and political differences.

Fantastic story . . . and truly great neighbors all the way around . . . including yourself. The fact that you have let folks access and use your land says a lot about you and your beliefs . . . and I suspect this is just one way a few neighbors are returning that favor. I too have been fortunate to have some good neighbors.

 

[kennyp2339]

My neighbors always get mad at me, I could understand why though, I always help them with projects (I'm the guy with the snowplow on the truck in the winter, have a tractor/backhoe now, and other tools) but when it comes time to do something at my house I never ask for help, I just start doing it which makes them mad.

 

[sportbikerider78]

I live in the country and have only met a few of my neighbors. We are in a wooded area which really private, so you really never make eye contact because you can't see them unless they are at the end of the driveway.

The ones I have met have been just fine. We leave each other alone...and I like that. I think I'm the only one that really digs into his own projects. I have the cheapest home on the street $<300k and they are all in the $450-750k range. Well off people don't tend to tackle big projects on their own that needs assistance from others.

For me being a good Samaritan is a religious conviction and that spans political beliefs.

 

[Dobish]

i love my neighbors, well most of them anyway! The other day I came home and there were 3 morning glory plants that needed to be planted. I had no idea where they came from, then one of my neighbors walked by and said "i thought these would look nice along your fence, I had them, but didn't have room!"

 

[Sprinter]

Politics should never enter into it ...

Absolutely agree. And it needn't. It has less to do with politics than personalities IMO.

Last year we had an extremely tragic event in our family that I won't go into, but it tore much of the extended family apart and stunned us for quite a while (still does, but...) Our church has a a very eclectic membership politically. Some members are quite vocal. Knowing that our roof was in bad need of replacing, about a month after this event, our Pastor who is also a gen. contractor, secretly got together a group of about 20 volunteer members and showed up with a truck full of roofing materials and talented roofers, cooks and other support. By the end of the day, we had a new roof with good materials and with the original roofing all removed. Despite the varying political views, everyone worked together with each other with sincere teamwork and toward this single goal of helping a neighbor and friend. As said, there were a mix of political views but did not matter a whit.

I've personally never experienced such a selfless act of kindness and empathy before. I spent the whole day working up there with them of course, and I paid for all materials. No one was out of pocket and as a nice aside, new friendships were formed. I'm still touched and grateful and always will be.

 

[Lake Girl]

...Last year we had an extremely tragic event in our family that I won't go into, but it tore much of the extended family apart and stunned us for quite a while (still does, but...) Our church has a a very eclectic membership politically. Some members are quite vocal. Knowing that our roof was in bad need of replacing, about a month after this event, our Pastor who is also a gen. contractor, secretly got together a group of about 20 volunteer members and showed up with a truck full of roofing materials and talented roofers, cooks and other support.

Sorry to hear your family had a tough go ... but glad your community rallied around you to provide the support they could!

 

[Sprinter]

My neighbors always get mad at me, I could understand why though, I always help them with projects (I'm the guy with the snowplow on the truck in the winter, have a tractor/backhoe now, and other tools) but when it comes time to do something at my house I never ask for help, I just start doing it which makes them mad.

It's been said that the best way to make a friend is to ask a favor. I really think it works.

 

[kennyp2339]

It's been said that the best way to make a friend is to ask a favor. I really think it works.

Yeah but they still come over gripe a bit but obviously have no problem drinking all my beer, I think they like my fridge better than me

 

[Sprinter]

For me being a good Samaritan is a religious conviction and that spans political beliefs.

And religious or not, it just feels good.