These are random musings of my life journey, the people, animals, places, and events which have woven, and continue to weave, a tapestry that is me. We all know there is no real destination, only the ongoing experiences which blend together, creating the trail. Each step gives a glimpse of what is to come, without allowing me to see the end result. It is exciting. I have a home base that is mine, that gives me a place to rest. This is it. This is where my heart is, no matter where I journey...................

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Grrrrr

What to do, what to do.

I have a neighbor who is doing a lot of work to their property. They are making sort of a compound out of it. There is the house, a workshop, a place where they park their travel trailer, an area where his equipment is kept (he has a Bobcat and a trailer for transporting it), and whatever else. Since early spring, he has been running the Bobcat almost daily, making a number of roads, the parking areas, etc. His wife often uses a chain saw to remove old branches from the trees or remove a few of the trees to make room for a central area in the center of the compound.

They aren't really noisy about it. The chain saw may go for as much as an hour, but that's once or twice a week. The Bobcat isn't really that loud. In fact, many times I don't hear it because of the configuration of the mountain. They are lower than I am and most of their property is in back of me.

But there are times......

This morning I was sitting on my deck, soaking up the warm early morning sun, having a cup of tea and listening to nature. I was hearing bird calls and a little wind in the pines. It was so peaceful. I was out for twenty minutes or so, and the dogs were rolling on their backs in the sun, enjoying the morning as I was. And then .....

Yep, the Bobcat started up. It wasn't loud, but it blocked the sound of the wind in the pines. I could still hear the birds, but not as well. Just a low grade mechanical whir.

Normally I would not mind much, but it has been like this ....a.l.l....s.u.m.m.e.r....l.o.n.g....! I've thought about talking with them, but there isn't any reasonable reason to do so. They aren't doing anything out of line. They are fixing up their property to make it a comfortable and attractive home. The noises they make aren't terribly loud, as I said. It could be so much worse. There could be the noises of trucks hauling in building materials, pouring cement, hammers pounding, power saws whining. I'm just tired of hearing it every day and especially on those morning like this one, when it breaks into the song of nature.

I'll ignore it. For now. But if it starts up again next spring, I think I will have to ask just how much more they plan to do. The fact of it is that we all make those noises occasionally. When I mow my little patch of grass, my mower is noisy for about twenty minutes. I'm going to have to fire up the chain saw soon and tak care of some tress myself. It is a part of living out here, and it is a certain great deal quieter here than in any city, or even a small town. As I said, I'll ignore it. For now.

OK, finished bitching. Resume your lives.

13 comments:

  1. one would hope that they will finish their improvements at some point. however, i suspect that any couple with a bobcat and a chain saw, will want to use their toys. so when one project is done, another will be started. i suppose the up side is that if you ever need to borrow a chain saw, you know where to go.

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  2. (M)ary, I think you hit it right on the head .... when they finish a project, they sit down and think of something else. They've reworked a couple areas at least once, maybe 2X!! I'll try to remember that positive spin on it!!

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  3. I feel your frustration. Hopefully they'll run out of ideas???

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  4. Let's say a prayer for the completion of the project!

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  5. Daisy, Oh, I hope so!! They are transplants from California, and I fear they have not lost the California need to be busy, busy, busy!!

    MJ, yes!!

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  6. Can a man with a bobcat and chain saw help a woman with a need for terraced steps?

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  7. Anon, I'm guessing he probably could, but I'm pretty sure there would be some charges involved. He has a sign out to advertise for "Bobcat Work." I'm so near done now that I just need to finish it up and move on!

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  8. I like quiet too. Sometimes I swear these guys like to make noise just because they can. There's nothing better than just listening to nature--the wind, the trees, the waters. Just wondering though, your dogs don't bark up a racket do they? That's another noise I don't like out in the country. I swear some of these dogs do nothing but bark all day. And I do mean all day.

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  9. Hey it's okay sometimes little things just bug you and it helps to get it out!


    Remember the bigger the bow.... *snicker*

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  10. Lynilu.
    My empathy.

    Noise drives me bonkers, I am a quiet freak. I need it, I crave it, it settles my nerves...

    Can you ask them not to start before 9:00 a.m. and to finish by 5:00, and not to work on weekends ?

    Are there any ordinances on time that construction is allowed to be done ?

    People forget that their projects are someone else's nervous brekadown.

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  11. Dave, I don't think they make noise just because, but I think they are pretty oblivious to others. Some of the other neighbors have tried talking with them about various irritations, including that they talk (not yelling) so loud that you can hear them across the valley! They just get pissy about it.

    Of course my dogs bark, but not that much. When they see a deer or some other "intruder" they dash out to state the territorial limits, but normally stop within a few minutes. When they don't stop after 3-4 minutes, I bring them in. And this couple has 3 chihuahuas. they aren't really loud barkers, but they bark as much or more than mine.

    MQ, I think that is where I was coming from. Just one of those days!

    I can't wait until Maddie is big enough for you to tell her that story! LOL! We must stay in touch, 'cause I'll wanna hear about her reaction!

    Annie, the area I live in is rural, and while it is a "subdivision" there are not ordinances that I can find that apply to this sort of thing.

    I do not think they are anything but insensitive to others, and as I said, they actually don't make a lot of noise, comparatively speaking. I'm just getting weary of it. Since others have brought up their noise level without resolution, I'm going to let it ride for now, let them finish their project. If it starts up again next year, then I'll talk with them.

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  12. Jen, yeah, well, I'm not holding my breath, but I hope so, too.

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If you have something to say about it, just stick out your thumb, and I'll slow down so you can hop aboard! But hang on, 'cause I'm movin' on down the road!!! No time to waste!!!