The empty lot

More than one-and-a-half year ago, we set our sights on an empty lot that, we felt, might work to receive our new home. At that point, this was just a vague idea. That lot had sat empty ever since the subdivision was drawn up, in the late seventies.

There are two neighbors on each sides of the lot that purchased their home between six and eleven years ago, and until we started to build on this vacant, 12,000 square foot lot, it was some wonderful open space where their respective dogs could play and where they could throw their unwanted grass clippings, discarded Christmas trees and the like.

Obviously, since we've begun to disturb that freewheeling way of life and moved into our house, the good old days are hard to forget and resentment towards the new comers can still be felt at times. As my wife once suggested to one of the neighbors: “Why didn't you buy that empty lot?” Obviously, they didn't and today they must live with us, their new permanent fixture...