The One About The Neighbors: What Will Be, What Isn’t Anymore, And What Is

/ Ally Bean

Neighbor’s dead tree with turkey vultures [or turkey buzzards, pick your nomenclature]: I don’t like this.

WHAT WILL BE:

“Come and listen to my story bout a man named Jed, Poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed…”  

Remember The Beverly Hillbillies? And remember their theme song?

Of course you do.

Well, that’s the song that’s been stuck in brain this past weekend.

Why?

I know not for sure other than Thanksgiving is about hospitality– and somehow seeing turkey vultures lounging above our property on the neighbor’s dead tree, that leans precariously in the direction of our screened-in porch, put the tune in my mind.

I don’t know that Jed Clampett shot turkey vultures, but it seems like something he’d have done.  I do know that the dead tree will eventually fall.  Fingers crossed, not on our roof.

So there’s that.

• • •

Neighbor’s empty backyard: I like this.

WHAT ISN’T ANYMORE:

“Well the first thing you know Jed’s a millionaire, Kinfolk said Jed move away from there…”

And speaking of neighbors I’ve taken the liberty of sharing with you, my gentle readers, a photograph of their empty backyard.  A backyard that is free from a huge, formerly well-used, swing set that is no longer there.

While I admit that the kids playing on the swing set were hilarious and the squirrels frolicking on the swing set were total goofballs, I’m happy that it’s gone from my view.

The neighbor kids are old enough to drive now and the swing set has disappeared, presumably to some other backyard where it’ll be loved as much as it was here.

Change happens, eh?

• • •

Neighbor’s wistful cat: I like him.

WHAT IS:

“You’re all invited back again to this locality, To have a heaping helping of their hospitality…”  

And finally while I’m on the topic of neighbors, here is a photo of their black and white kitty cat as seen on a foggy morning.

I don’t know his name, but he occasionally likes to sit under one of our trees.  He’s a natural, knowing how to pose for the camera– and takes a darned good picture.

He’s not destructive, just inquisitive, and not afraid to hang out in our yard when so moved by his need for a little peace and quiet away from kids and dogs.

I can understand.

• • •

Questions of the Day

{ answer whichever question OR questions strike your fancy }

  1. So what’s up with your neighbors?  Any of their trees poised to fall on your house? Anything missing from their yards? Any of their pets enjoying a respite in your yard?
  2. Can you sing The Beverly Hillbillies theme song from memory like I can?  How about Gilligan’s Island theme song?  Or The Flintstone’s theme song? 
  3. Do you believe I could get any more rambling and random than I have in this post?  And how does that make you feel?

92 thoughts on “The One About The Neighbors: What Will Be, What Isn’t Anymore, And What Is”

  1. Well, you still make a lot of sense, so indeed you could be a lot more “”rambling and random” – you should read some of the e-mails I get at work – now THOSE are rambling. The neighbor’s picture makes it look like we live on the side of a mountain. It doesn’t FEEL that sloped but I guess it is. No wonder my ankles hurt after cutting the grass. All cats are invited to visit and take whatever mice, chipmunks or moles they want with them. Loved the post – love to think about our surroundings and interaction with nature . . . even when it is a flock of turkey vultures.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Zen-Den, I attempt to make sense most of the time. I can imagine how some of your emails go, having talked with many a babbling human being in my life. Get to the point, eh?

      I forget how sloped our backyard is, too. I swear I’m going to buy a walking stick just to wander around in it. I’m with you about neighbor cat– mi mousies es tu mousies.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Our neighbor’s large oak tree is capable of taking out his or our house. Hopefully it doesn’t ever fall. It’s home to many squirrels who come begging in our yard. We do feed them, so I understand.

    Not only can I sing those theme songs, I expect each to take a turn being stuck in my head today – thanks 😉

    Liked by 2 people

    • Dan, I love living among old established trees when the trees are still established. But once they die, it’s anyone’s guess which way they’ll fall. We’ve already had one fall on our house, so maybe we’re safe.

      Enjoy your headworms. 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  3. One of my writing rooms looks out on to our front yard. I’m amazed that every dog who walks by on a leash has to make a pit stop in the same exact spot in our yard. Why don’t people let their dogs go on their own yard?

    Liked by 2 people

    • Jill, I’ve wondered that about dogs, too. I’ve never had one so I don’t have an answer. I like our neighbor kitty cat. He’s mellow, but looks so tired by the time he gets here to hang out.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. #1 – We’re surrounded by empty houses, so our ‘neighbors’ end up being the looky-loo drivers who creep along our street! As you say:”I don’t like this.” (it’s creepy)
    #2 – yes, yes and yes…how about the cartoon Spiderman song, too? “Is he strong? Listen bud, he’s got radioactive blood…” As you say: “I like this.” (it’s fun)
    #3 – This makes me feel just fine…and if you don’t mind, I’ll be using this as a template to organize my own future/whenever ‘random’ blog post. As you say: “I like this.” (gets it out there!)

    ps-love the kitty!

    🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • Laura, oh I wouldn’t like looky-loos driving by our house. Definitely creepy. We live in suburbia so people just kind of whip by us.

      The Spiderman song is a good one, too. I’d forgotten about it. I can also sing most of the theme from The Nanny, but it’s not as embedded in my brain as The Beverly Hillbillies theme.

      Please feel free to use this post as a template. I like that idea. 🤓

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Love the post…made me laugh. I love tv theme songs, and once you get them in your head….speaking of which, maybe I’ll add one to my playlist….and speaking of neighbors….”I’ll be there for you…..

    Liked by 2 people

  6. Yup. I can sing all 3 plus . . . The Munsters, The Adams Family, Green Acres, etc. (I also have a bunch of useless info from the Bible rolling around up there that I can’t seem to jettison.)

    I can also sing CHANGES by Bowie. 😀

    Liked by 2 people

    • nancy, I can sing Green Acres theme now that you mention it. And I’m very good with The Adams Family theme, especially the finger snapping part. The Munsters theme I don’t remember at all. Maybe they were on TV past my bedtime!

      I know a few Bible verses, too. But I don’t remember where they are in the Bible, just the gist of what they were teaching me. That’s enough, right?

      Like

  7. Random is always good Ally Bean, that is one of the hallmarks of my own blog. Many of those songs still are etched in my brain, but if I start thinking about them then they won’t leave so I’m sticking with classic Christmas songs in honor of the season. I really thought that this post was headed in a different direction at first, what with the dead tree, empty lot and huge birds lurking. I expected you to tell us it had been ages since you noticed the neighbors and were on the verge of calling authorities to come investigate.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Deb, I’m glad you like random. It is, of course, one of the reasons I like reading your blog. All those old TV themes are lurking around the edges of my mind, ready to be brought forth [usually] at the most inopportune times.

      I hadn’t thought about how dark and creepy this post could have been. A missed opportunity there. i assure you our neighbors are all alive and well and decorating their houses for the holidays… like their lives depended on it. 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Rambling randomness is okay, Ally. I do it all the time on my blog. Ha!

    About question # 1: On our former property, a huge oak tree was poised to fall on our upstairs bedroom. Several tons worth! We had to pay to have it removed because the neighbors said they couldn’t afford to. Maybe your and your neighbor could split the removal cost if they don’t take action soon. Just a thought . . .

    Liked by 2 people

    • marian, I like your idea of sharing the cost. So far we’ve had one tree [our own] fall on our house and one tree [a neighbor’s] fall parallel one foot away beside our house. We paid for one to be removed and used our chainsaw to do in the other one, putting the logs into the forest behind us. Wooded lots are lovely– until they’re not. 😐

      Liked by 1 person

  9. 1. No, but I’m sure the new neighbors who just moved in next to me last month eye my everything, including the trees. They are meticulous about cleaning their yard of leaves and….. well, I prefer to let nature do its thing. At least I am helping to keep them busy little bees. As for missing… no. But the neighbors on the other side of me put up their lights with half of one of the strands that runs along the roof laying in a pile on the ground… it cracks me up. Pets…. yes, Gypsy still comes to me door to eat most days.

    2. I don’t know if I’ve ever watched an entire episode of The Beverly Hillbillies before. Despite it being on reruns on almost every channel when I was growing up, it never really crossed my path before. I can still sing the theme to The Patty Duke Show and The Super Mario Brothers Super Show…

    3. Random makes me feel…. well, random. Never knowing what to expect makes me unable to know how I’ll feel. Make sense?

    Liked by 2 people

    • evilsquirrel13, tidy about their leaves, eh? How wonderful for them. We do our best to rake/blow/mulch all the leaves but with all our trees and our lack of perfectionistic concern, many remain on the ground. Looking lovely, if you ask me. I’m glad that Gypsy is still visiting you. Bet she doesn’t care about the leaves…

      The Beverly Hillbillies seemed to be in constant reruns for a while there. I rarely saw The Patty Duke Show, though. In fact I didn’t know there was a theme song for it.

      I see your logic about random. Unable to predict what is next leads to not being able to know how you’ll feel. You’re a thinker. So true.

      Like

  10. Sadly I can sing almost every annoying tv sitcom theme song from bygone eras. My brain is clogged with useless knowledge like that…
    As for our neighbors, nothing strange to report. Which is rather disappointing.

    Liked by 2 people

    • rivergirl1211, it’s weird how so many of us just. know. the. words. to TV theme songs. Somehow the words invaded our brains and set up camp there.

      Nothing odd with the neighbors can be a good thing. I wouldn’t be too quick to dismiss that!

      Like

  11. Hi, Ally – Fun post and great questions! In answer to your #2:
    I just tested myself. I believe I can sing the full Beverley Hillbillies’ tune from start to finish. Not so much The Flinstone’s Theme Song or the one for Gilligan’s Island. To redeem myself, I can recite the full ‘Cat in the Hat’ and ‘The Grinch Who Stole Christmas’ from cover to cover without the books. Lame Christmas Party trick…I know!

    Liked by 2 people

  12. I don’t know the words to any of those songs, because lyrics don’t stick with me, other than a line or two – but as soon as you quoted the first line, I was off with the song – that would apply to all of those mentioned.
    I live in rural America – my yard is 5 acres, so although I can see my neighbors (and there is a new house going up next door on the north side) they are all far enough away I catch only glimpses through the trees now and then.
    Whoops – I reversed the first two questions didn’t I?
    I like rambling. Yours was quite organized rambling.

    Like

    • Carol, I’m not really great with most lyrics, just TV theme songs. So what does that say about me? You have a large property that sounds wonderful. I’m surprised you can see any neighborly activity, let alone ever need to ponder when a neighbor’s tree is going to fall on your house. 😳

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Cats are aware of their place in the hierarchy, hence the perfect pose of grandeur there.

    There’s a black and white cat, a tuxedo gentleman, who wanders around the garden in the back. It’s the nicest prettiest litter box he could find, I’m sure. As for your questions, the only neighbor that comes to mind in this instant is the one who can’t seem to ever put a lid on her trash and recycle cans, hence her trash, etc. flies all over the street with the wind. Also, I never watched the Hillbillies, hence I don’t know the song. And as for the how does that make you feel… I can’t lie down right now, hence I don’t feel comfortable answering that.

    I’m very hence-y today. Bwahahaha.

    Liked by 1 person

  14. I indeed get rambling random pretty often. I find it cleansing when my head’s all jumbled up. And if you’d said “hey, sing this theme song” I’d say I couldn’t but sure enough, I sang along with all your phrases in my head. There’s more tucked away in there than I realize.
    We’ve got a weird neighbor thing, not so much in a good way. Hubbies are good friends, but the wife didn’t care for me speaking my mind about the way she yelled at my kid so we don’t really talk. Like, ever. That sounds like I was all “oh, my precious baby got his feelings hurt” but you’ll just have to trust me — that wasn’t it. Anyway, their kid spends a lot of time gaming at our house; the young one comes by asking to play with the kitty but I don’t like to torture Mia so she doesn’t come in that often. It’s a strange setup.
    See? Told you I get rambly.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Laura, I like random and find that when I start looking at assorted photos I took for no particular reason, random words soon follow. It’s my process, so to speak.

      Your neighborly situation is peculiar. I can understand how telling another woman she’s overstepped your boundaries can lead to a frosty relationship. Kudos to you for standing up for yourself and your children. But then toss the neighbor’s kiddo into the mix and you got peculiar. I’ll give you that. Lucky you. 🙄

      I’ve been enjoying your pics of Mia on IG. That kitty cat is soooo cute.

      Like

  15. Your neighbor’s back yard is beautiful, as is the cat. I can sing those songs, although I’m not sure all the way through. My neighbors planted trees that have grown HUGE and they’re right next to my fence, so guess who gets all their fall leaves? (should rake today)

    Liked by 1 person

    • Margaret, even though we have a lot of trees around here for the most part they’re far enough apart in the front yards that we only rake our own leaves. And in the back, well– we all just blow the leaves into the ravine. Sounds like your neighbors didn’t think it through before planting the trees where they did. Bad neighbors!

      Like

  16. 1. The neighbors behind us have a horrid black walnut tree that literally dictated what plants we could put in our backyard. It is toxic to hundreds and hundreds of things. It is also a terribly dirty annoying tree.

    2. I have no idea why, but it seems I have stored oodles of old sitcom theme song lyrics, even to shows I never watched (like The Beverly Hillbillies and Gilligan’s Island). I wish they’d leave so I had room for Really Important Stuff, like where I left my phone on an hourly basis.

    3. Bits-n-pieces posts are fine with me. I do it myself at least once a month.

    Liked by 1 person

    • nance, the walnut trees around here are basic ones, but I remember black walnut trees in our neighborhood when I was a girl. They are messy. What do you plant under and around them?

      Useless lyrics I’ve got, but keeping track of my stupid cell phone is a chore. Maybe because I liked those TV shows more than I like my phone!

      Random posts are fun, but I do wonder what they say about me, any of us who write them. Nonetheless, sometimes it’s all I gotta say, so I say it this way. 😄

      Like

  17. I love when synchronicity happens among bloggers. I literally just had a conversation with a neighbor of ours about a dead tree that our condo association seems to be ignoring. We both agreed if something is not done, it’s bound to fall on one of our cars one day. And then I come in and read this post of yours.

    The problem with the Beverly Hillbillies theme song for me is that I’m a boy, and when I was a pre-teen my friends and I sang an X-rated version of that we had somehow learned. The boy inside of the now-grown man is probably still lurking in there. And so it goes. – Marty

    Liked by 1 person

    • Marty, that’s a great example of synchronicity. To add to it, I posted this about 7:30 this morning. At 9:00 I heard machine noise outside and looked out the window to see that a neighbor down the street was having some trees cut down. Go figure.

      I didn’t know there was an X-rated version of this theme song. And here’s the thing, call me a fuddy-duddy but I don’t want to know it. Shocking, eh? Thanks for keeping your inner little boy lyrics to yourself. 😄

      Liked by 2 people

  19. I can sing from memory many theme songs of old shows including Green Acres, The Partridge Family, and the Brady Bunch! 😀 😁
    I live next door to a pond, so my neighbors are very quiet. 😀

    Liked by 2 people

    • Jan, yes, you’d think that the possibility of buying us a new screened-in porch would be incentive for our neighbor to have this tree removed, but so far it hasn’t been. Maybe they think insurance will cover it, so why bother to pay for the tree to come down now.

      Like

  21. Random, yes, but it seemed tied together perfectly. I do remember the Beverly Hillbillies song plus several of the others that have been mentioned here. They don’t make TV like that anymore! Our neighbors to the left have moved away and there was quite a commotion going on there for a while as they left the house to their son who was into some possibly illegal activities. He married a similarly unreliable person and long story short, the parents sold the house out from under them. Now it is empty, having been bought by the neighbors across the street who are in the process of cleaning and remodeling. I went inside and it was disgusting! When the couple moved out, they left two of their cats to fend for themselves, one of which is a constant presence by our house. He does not get along well with our cat though so he is not welcome. He does leave us “presents” of mice though.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Janet, what a neighborly mess you have there. I applaud the parents for selling the house out from under the unreliable [ungrateful] children. Of course, if there were illegal things going on there then home maintenance was probably not a priority. I wonder if the new owner will be able to make a go of it in that house. Nice of the abandoned kitty cat to bring you presents. He clearly has your best interests at heart.

      Liked by 1 person

  22. 1. My neighbours are all churches. Yes, I am surrounded on all sides and across the street too. Quiet neighbours, except for Sundays (and Saturday evening masses at St. Mary’s).
    2. Yes, to all of the above.
    3. I feel great about this!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Deb, I love where you live. It’s so unique and quiet when it counts. Funny how we all have some of those TV theme songs readily available for those moments when we need [?] to sing them. Thanks for your encouragement, happy to know you feel great about my random.

      Liked by 1 person

  23. I think Dustin and his parents and their dogs moved. Or like, someone came and stole their curtains and turned out the lights. Rehab house is still being worked on inside, a reminder that home improvement always takes longer than planned. I think improvements are being done to the lil blue house, too.
    I don’t think I know all the words to any of those songs.
    I have a tree needing felled, and a swingset to be removed, and I don’t even think we’re going to rake this year.
    (Still the nicest house on the block.)
    Nonetheless, I am so glad your view is improved 🙂 Before rehab house was being rehabbed, it was a SIGHT. Made me so glad to have my hibiscus curtain!

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey, I like your neighborhood. Always good to have a visual reminder of how long any home improvement project can take. 🙄

      I was surprised to look out our window and see that the swingset was gone. I’d forgotten how nice it is to look at just plain lawn over there.

      We raked most of the leaves around here, but with the early snow this year I think we’re finished with that activity. Good luck with your tree. Taking them down is never as easy as you think it’ll be.

      Liked by 1 person

  24. Random is the only natural order. (No straight lines in nature either)
    What? Waste a perfectly good swing set? Mom and dad were thrilled to put up a hammock on one and when they moved, they took the swing set and found a lovely porch swing the fit – so they could watch the birds, squirrels, and neighbors’ cats.
    (Some neighbor stuff in post tomorrow – how funny…great minds and all that stuff HAHA)

    Liked by 1 person

    • philmouse, good point. Nature is random and crooked. In fact, looking at the big picture of blogging [life], all posts [experiences] are random to an extent. Whatever strikes your interest is what you write about [do].

      The swing set went to a family with young kids. The set was carefully deconstructed, photographed in the process, then left the neighborhood on the back of a pick-up truck. It won’t be wasted, but I do like what your parents did with an old one. That was clever.

      Liked by 1 person

  25. I needed some randomness today, so I thank you. My neighbors usually keep to themselves, and I live in a nice area with conservation land behind me so I don’t have neighbors in my back yard. Nice. I can hum those tunes, but I don’t know all the words!

    Glad to hear that you enjoy a better view now and that you get visits from a beautiful cat. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Kate, our neighbors are pleasant quiet people who say “hi” and that’s about it. Works for me, an introvert.

      I’d like having conservation land behind me, but instead we have a wooded ravine that goes down to a little creek. In the winter we see the neighbors behind us, but once the trees grow leaves our view of them is obscured.

      Now the neighbors on either side of us we see, but that’s ok. They have fun kids and a cute cat!

      Like

  26. I’m afraid to answer all your questions at the bottom. I think the last one’s a trick question. That dead tree with the buzzards would definitely give me pause. They’re in the wrong holiday month. Missed it by about 22 days. Your neighbors have a nice lawn. I’ll bet they LOVE no longer having the playset in it. Some friends gave us their old, well-loved playset when their kids were done with it. I’m glad it can still get used. And yes, that cat is beautiful. Wistful is a good word for it. I would definitely not mind that cat in my yard. I’d also hope it would let me pet it and be its friend. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  27. I have wonderful neighbors on all sides–no trees about to fall, no swing sets moved away. Lots of remodeling, house painting, and new roofs in the neighborhood though. I love your neighbor’s cat. I wish a beautiful cat like that who would pose in my yard.

    I don’t remember the Beverly Hillbillies theme song. I’ve gone through various periods in my life in which I’ve either watched TV or not. The Beverly Hillbillies must have been in one of my “off times.” I do know who they are though.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Behind the Story, it’s fun to live in a neighborhood where people are doing things to their houses, improving and creating homes. We’re going to be needing a new roof soon enough, come to think of it.

      The Beverly Hillbillies were on TV all the time for a while there. In reruns. And somehow I saw lots of the episodes, hence my ability to sing/recite their theme song lyrics. I’ve gone through periods without a TV so my knowledge of popular TV is kind of spotty, too.

      Liked by 1 person

  28. Your neighbours sound normal and a reason to smile 🙂

    I could write a series of posts about my neighbours – but I won’t. I’m trying to stay on the side of good karma, although considering all the evil thoughts I’ve had over the years about what I’d like to do to one neighbour and his dog, I probably used up a lifetime’s worth of good karma 😏

    Liked by 1 person

  30. 1. Both of our next door neighbors are named Doug. Nice Doug and Crazy Doug (we added the “Crazy” part, that’s not his real name). Enough said.
    2. Yes to all of the above. I am, ahem, of a certain age.
    3. We all need a ramble now and then. I enjoyed yours!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Laurie, you live on a two Doug street! Of course you had to give them distinctive names. Who wouldn’t?

      It’s interesting to me to find out how many of my readers know the lyrics and tunes to so many older TV shows. We were brainwashed in a way, I guess.

      Thanks for the compliment. I try to have a cogent point to what I write here, but sometimes it just doesn’t happen. Thus, I ramble.

      Liked by 1 person

  31. Oh earworms… thankfully I can only recall the banjo (I think) from the Beverley Hillbillies (a programme I was glued to as a kid… a very small kid, you understand.) and it hasn’t yet taken over my brain. I do get these things on repeat. Usually someone just has to mention the name of a song and off it goes. So now I have (thank you, I don’t think) ‘a yabbadabba do time, a dabbado time, have a gayyyy old tiiiiiime’ going through my head. Where are the italics when you need them?

    As for our (new) neighbours, it’s just Tinkerbell that drives us crazy. That’s our name for their tuneless wind-chimes that they’ve hung in their garden (yard) without realising that they now live in a valley that has twinned itself with a wind-god.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Val, there’s nothing quite a spunky as The Flintstones theme song. I, of course, am now singing it myself. And will be for the rest of the day, thank you very much.

      I’m not a fan of wind chimes. We had a neighbor who had some, but eventually the wind blew them down and she never put them back up again. Maybe such a fate will happen to Tinkerbell. 🤞

      Liked by 1 person

  32. Fun post, Ally! We are surrounded by trees on all sides, but none of them are dead. So no problem yet of any threatening to fall on our house.
    One of our neighbors has a black and white kitty that has been coming to our back sliding doors and peering in, with his nose pressed against the window. It’s so funny to see that! He’s extremely friendly, and has huge mitten paws. So of course I always have to go out and visit with him awhile.
    I remember a lot of the old sitcom songs. They were very catchy and unique.
    I love your random rambles. So fun to relate to!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Beth, I like living among the trees, but some of them are ancient and will be coming down. Just not on our house again, please.

      Your neighbor kitty sounds like a good friend. I totally understand how you have to visit with him. Of course.

      It’s funny how some of the TV theme song lyrics stick with me and others don’t. I remember many of the older ones, but some of the new ones, like Friends and TBBT, are embedded in brain now, too.

      Liked by 1 person

  33. Ah, neighbors – now, there’s a topic. I have one that is afraid to talk to me or anyone in our family so she leaves ‘things’ on my potting table, patio or in the mailbox while dressed in her nightgown sans underwear but with a black sweater. She’s a nice lady, but a little to the left on the weird chart. And, we have two gigantic dead branches that need to be cut and removed before they take out two fences but we’ve been waiting for months for them to get to us. Service by a tree company is tough to come by up here.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Judy, your neighbor lady in the nightie sounds like a character out of an Agatha Christie mystery. One who Miss Marple will suss out as the intended victim of the crime!

      We have a slow time getting any tree company to come to our house, too. Although where you live they’d be in even more demand. I love me trees, but me not love paying the price to have them maintained in a safe way. 😑

      Liked by 1 person

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