Admiring the Neighbors

Everyday treasures can be found in your neighborhood. It depends what you look for? It depends how you define treasure.

We live on the same street year after year. We meet neighbors across a common fence, through bushes bordering our properties, in front of garage doors. We chat about the weather, the lack of snow shovelling tractors appearing on snowy days, and which trees should be cut down.

I have not always had neighbors like that. Nice ones, who care about others and contribute to a friendly atmosphere on our little street.
We once had a property with plans for building a home to suit the needs of our family, but when we found out that one neighbor had shot the other neighbor's dog and a third one was collecting signatures to get our family off the street (because they did not like the design of our house). Needless to say, we sold our property and moved on to friendlier pastures.

Life is simply too short to waste on strife and collecting enemies.

The Duck and Cherry is firmly planted on a street with a variety of interesting neighbors. They are good people and I like them.

I brought my camera on a morning walk with Hector, the Wheaten Terrier, and captured some of the clever ideas my neighbors display. I admire my neighbors for what they have accomplished on their lots.

Here are some of the things I especially like:

An easy nature friendly garden without much fuss. 

Flower beds are up on the front side of the house.

Nice-looking and clever bin made for drying and storing wood for cold winter months.

Massive wall resembling a Greek fortress supports the hill towards this house.

Excellent workmanship from this stone art work in front of a garage.

Gates on the allee with two porter's lodges on either side.

Berry bushes planted on the corner of a property, 

which otherwise would stand useless and unnoticed.

Pretty flower beds. 

They belong to the neighbor I ask for advice on everything garden, 

like when and how to prune the apple and plum trees.

Nicely built stone planter.

View from the allee. Old trees and stone fences on either side. 

Sheep on the meadow.

Our own stone wall. Arnfinn dug the soil by hand and built this fence. 

I especially like the curve shown here.