Mending Fences

How does that saying go? “Good fences make good neighbors.” Well, I did a little research and you’d be surprised at how many interesting quotes there are about fences and neighbors along with their historical references. Now I have a little story of my own to add to the assortment.

There is certainly some truth to that quote wrapped inside cultural understanding. I’ve learned that proper fences, sharing both bounty and burdens, along with good communication all make for better neighbors.

Surrounding our compound, we have chosen to build a wall of cement block only about three feet high and add bars on top to offer a bit of security but mostly to preserve privacy in our yard and  keep our dogs in. (As all of us know, security efforts are important but any determined intruder will find a way over even the highest wall so we decided to keep the view and the breeze along with our two dogs.)

 

                         This is the front yard wall and what the back should look like soon. In the corner is the well and some sugarcane.

 

There is a problem with this arrangement. The back yard wall doesn’t have the metal part yet and is just feet away from a significant drop-off. But the only reason to go back there is to harvest our guavas or search for food if you are a chicken. (We moved in here before a lot of things were completely done to help save money. That was fine at the time. We weren’t disturbed by anything. The neighborhood is changing, though, so we really want to get that part finished so it is not SO easy to climb or fly over!)

 

One of those pesky roosters

That is what brings me back around to our neighbors. Their roosters and hens come on over and eat my hen’s food and scratch around my garden destroying the plants. I’m not happy about this so I finally went to the neighbor to talk it over. Oh, I almost forgot. My hens are in their private section of the yard for TWO reasons: 1) so they don’t kill my herbs and 2) so our dear hunting dog, Dorea, doesn’t kill them. Just this morning she was after a tiny bird. It wouldn’t even have made a good snack! It’s all about the hunt for her. She’s caught some of those visiting chickens too. I got her to drop them before she did any permanent damage but the next time I might not be quick enough to save them. 

The back yard wall and the division for the hens.

So, we were there, at my neighbor’s, under the tiny bit of shade of a papaya tree solving the problem of what to do about the chickens coming in when another topic came up. Why hasn’t the landlord finished the back wall as promised? We gave him the rent money to do it. We know he started, called in the technicians and all. Well, it’s simple. (Not really!) It’s about sharing blessings. You see, he couldn’t finish it because he got promoted. When something good happens like that you have to share: have a party and buy drinks for everyone. (Same thing happens if you decide to celebrate your birthday. YOU provide the party and cake, not your friends. Similarly, if you get a new radio you play the music as loud as it will go so everyone can enjoy.) Had I been in the country at the time to stay with the kids and prepare supper, Kevin would have gone over to “drink” some of the bounty. He’d have had a coke bought with our rent money that we thought was going to pay for the finishing of our fence.

 The other half of the back

yard also showing the fence

protecting the vegetables from

Ziva, who loves to eat them.

And while I was there, visiting with my neighbors, they also expressed appreciation for my garden. I share the abundant parsley, other herbs, as well as fruits that have grown there and they joked that I have a village inside my wall. (At least I think that’s what they said. This conversation was all in French, so they might have meant that I have a mini farm and they really like it.)

So, at the end of the day, the chicken’s wings should be clipped while we wait for the fence to be finished with next month’s rent money, while we all gather the supplies and money needed to build a “bridge” at the end of our shared driveway for all of us to use.

Front entrance to the house with Ziva on guard

Don’t worry. We are in no more danger of intruders today, without the fence done yet, than before. Dorea and Ziva are pretty good alarms and some new lights have recently been put up for better night-time visibility.

There’s always next month for finishing that wall. Our landlord knows it’s important to have good fences and good neighbors.