BradKajukenbo
Well-known member
I always felt that I would be more happy living in a tent. The only reason why I chose to live this way is because I had kids. I don't regret that. My two boys mean the world to me. Its been the three of us since they were a year old just about. Their grandmother is like a second mother to me.
We got this place three years ago. My kids grandmother lives right behind us. Just outside the city limits. I have a Redding zip-code but an Anderson address. I got a Dollar General half mile one way. TA truck stop half mile the other. 90% of the time its nice a quiet and I don't like living around so many people. I have maybe 12 neighbors on my street.
Here is my downside. Neighbors and their neighborhood drama. I know 4 of my neighbors. One, we keep an eye out for each other.. One neighbor is Mr & Mrs CHP. Right after they moved in they pulled me over in my driveway as I got home. Yes my son was speeding. We were given a warning. Haven't talked to them since. Mostly because we have not ran into each other again. The other two I just try to deal with as less as possible. And almost every neighborhood has those 2 kind of neighbors who you wish would just mind their own.
Barney Fife Neighbor. This is the one who takes Neighborhood Watch way to serious. Sheriff Dispatch is #1 on his speed dial. County Code Enforcement is #2. If you are one of those people who keeps to yourself, he finds you suspicious. Stakes out across the street from your house. Records license plates of your visitors. He has a stack of "Community Notice Slips". If you have done something he doesn't like, you get up in the morning and you got one of his slips on your door letting you know all about what you've done. My son sometimes at night likes to walk to the TA truck stop and by a soda or a snack. I think the sheriff deputy got tired of being called out just because my son walked down the street. I've been reported to the County for running a business out of my garage but they don't really care. A small martial arts dojo is the least of the counties concern.
The Neighborhood Gazette. This is the neighbor who's house is considered Gossip Central. I was warned about her just right after I moved in. My neighbor tells me that she will come and act all friendly and ask you about yourself. However anything you tell her, she tells everyone in the neighborhood who will listen. Sure enough, one day I was out in the front yard when she walked her dog down my end of the street. "Oh hi. Welcome to the neighborhood. How old are your kids. Where did you move from." I know she was just trying to pick up all the information she could. I was ever more friendly to her. "What brings you to Redding". I just told her "Witness Protection Program". "Oh" she says. "Well nice to meet you." Then she was gone. Not long afterwards my neighbor comes over and laughs when he asked me if I really was in Witness Protection as an ex mafia. LMAO. Thats the spin she added. I never mention anything about any mafia. I think this is way Barney Fife staked out my house for months.
I found that just keeping to myself is the key to it all. Most of the people on this street are the same. Just that there is always those few neighbors who we can all live without. Other then having neighbors, homesteading is not all that bad.
We got this place three years ago. My kids grandmother lives right behind us. Just outside the city limits. I have a Redding zip-code but an Anderson address. I got a Dollar General half mile one way. TA truck stop half mile the other. 90% of the time its nice a quiet and I don't like living around so many people. I have maybe 12 neighbors on my street.
Here is my downside. Neighbors and their neighborhood drama. I know 4 of my neighbors. One, we keep an eye out for each other.. One neighbor is Mr & Mrs CHP. Right after they moved in they pulled me over in my driveway as I got home. Yes my son was speeding. We were given a warning. Haven't talked to them since. Mostly because we have not ran into each other again. The other two I just try to deal with as less as possible. And almost every neighborhood has those 2 kind of neighbors who you wish would just mind their own.
Barney Fife Neighbor. This is the one who takes Neighborhood Watch way to serious. Sheriff Dispatch is #1 on his speed dial. County Code Enforcement is #2. If you are one of those people who keeps to yourself, he finds you suspicious. Stakes out across the street from your house. Records license plates of your visitors. He has a stack of "Community Notice Slips". If you have done something he doesn't like, you get up in the morning and you got one of his slips on your door letting you know all about what you've done. My son sometimes at night likes to walk to the TA truck stop and by a soda or a snack. I think the sheriff deputy got tired of being called out just because my son walked down the street. I've been reported to the County for running a business out of my garage but they don't really care. A small martial arts dojo is the least of the counties concern.
The Neighborhood Gazette. This is the neighbor who's house is considered Gossip Central. I was warned about her just right after I moved in. My neighbor tells me that she will come and act all friendly and ask you about yourself. However anything you tell her, she tells everyone in the neighborhood who will listen. Sure enough, one day I was out in the front yard when she walked her dog down my end of the street. "Oh hi. Welcome to the neighborhood. How old are your kids. Where did you move from." I know she was just trying to pick up all the information she could. I was ever more friendly to her. "What brings you to Redding". I just told her "Witness Protection Program". "Oh" she says. "Well nice to meet you." Then she was gone. Not long afterwards my neighbor comes over and laughs when he asked me if I really was in Witness Protection as an ex mafia. LMAO. Thats the spin she added. I never mention anything about any mafia. I think this is way Barney Fife staked out my house for months.
I found that just keeping to myself is the key to it all. Most of the people on this street are the same. Just that there is always those few neighbors who we can all live without. Other then having neighbors, homesteading is not all that bad.