USAF385
US Veteran
I've been home just one day and I'm already causing trouble it would seem.
I was away for a while training for a new job in the Reserve. While away my brother in law called and informed me some folks stopped by one day while he was cutting my grass and introduced themselves. They are planning on buying a small 10 acre parcel of land next to me. He explained to them he wasn't the owner but chatted with them anyway. He told me they seemed to be nice people. A newlywed couple in their early 30s.
Well, I wasn't overly thrilled when I heard about this. I live in a rather secluded area. My nearest neighbor is just under one mile away. I like this... I like the privacy. I really don't want a new neighbor, but there's nothing I can do about it.
This morning I drove to where they'd likely build and realized it isn't really in a bad place at all. They'd be about a half mile away and live down near the dirt road that leads to my dirt road. They wouldn't be "intruding" on my privacy at all. Great! That put me in a good mood.
I came home and did some target shooting, worked out, went for a run, came back and got my supplies together to go to work tomorrow. After lunch I decided to go fishing up at my pond so I was getting my gear out of the my shed and into my truck when I heard a car come up my driveway.
I turned around and saw this Toyota Yaris struggling to make it up my steep, gravely driveway. I didn't recognize the car or the people when they got close enough for me to see them. It was a younger couple so I figured it might have been the new neighbors.
Yep... it was.
They got out and introduced themselves. I'll call them Dan and Jan. Real nice people. Married for two years. He is a dentist and she does medical billing. They're moving to the area from Binghamton NY. We talked for a few minutes before Dan noticed the 681 on my waist.
He pointed at it and asked if I "carried that thing around all the time". I told him that I indeed do carry a gun anytime I'm doing stuff outside. There's lots of critters and my land goes deep into the woods.
He than asked if that was me they heard shooting this morning. I told them yes, and when he asked if I was shooting yesterday... I said yes again (because I was).
"Do you shoot every day?" asked Jan.
"Pretty much every day I can." I replied.
"Is that safe?" she asked.
By this point my opinion of them started to change.
I asked what she meant. Safe for me? Safe for others? Either way the answer is yes. As long as nobody is trespassing there is no way someone could get hurt. (I fire in a safe direction into a big hillside which is all my land.. so.... very safe)
Dan then said something about the noise and I told him I don't shoot at odd hours. I then pointed out that there is a farmer not far down the road from where they'd build who does a lot of shooting as well.. as well as another guy on the other side of the valley.
Anyway we got off the topic of guns and chatted for a total of 10 minutes probably. I could tell Jan was uncomfortable after my .357 was spotted.
I still think they are basically nice. They don't really come off anti gun, but they definitely aren't comfortable with them.
It turns out this parcel of land isn't theirs yet, but they are seriously considering it. They're staying with an aunt who doesn't live around here but owns the land. I met her once when I was still in high school.
I told them that they might want to find out more about the area before jumping into rural living.
I think it was a good thing they met me. At least now they know beforehand that there are people in the area who shoot.
I was away for a while training for a new job in the Reserve. While away my brother in law called and informed me some folks stopped by one day while he was cutting my grass and introduced themselves. They are planning on buying a small 10 acre parcel of land next to me. He explained to them he wasn't the owner but chatted with them anyway. He told me they seemed to be nice people. A newlywed couple in their early 30s.
Well, I wasn't overly thrilled when I heard about this. I live in a rather secluded area. My nearest neighbor is just under one mile away. I like this... I like the privacy. I really don't want a new neighbor, but there's nothing I can do about it.
This morning I drove to where they'd likely build and realized it isn't really in a bad place at all. They'd be about a half mile away and live down near the dirt road that leads to my dirt road. They wouldn't be "intruding" on my privacy at all. Great! That put me in a good mood.
I came home and did some target shooting, worked out, went for a run, came back and got my supplies together to go to work tomorrow. After lunch I decided to go fishing up at my pond so I was getting my gear out of the my shed and into my truck when I heard a car come up my driveway.
I turned around and saw this Toyota Yaris struggling to make it up my steep, gravely driveway. I didn't recognize the car or the people when they got close enough for me to see them. It was a younger couple so I figured it might have been the new neighbors.
Yep... it was.
They got out and introduced themselves. I'll call them Dan and Jan. Real nice people. Married for two years. He is a dentist and she does medical billing. They're moving to the area from Binghamton NY. We talked for a few minutes before Dan noticed the 681 on my waist.
He pointed at it and asked if I "carried that thing around all the time". I told him that I indeed do carry a gun anytime I'm doing stuff outside. There's lots of critters and my land goes deep into the woods.
He than asked if that was me they heard shooting this morning. I told them yes, and when he asked if I was shooting yesterday... I said yes again (because I was).
"Do you shoot every day?" asked Jan.
"Pretty much every day I can." I replied.
"Is that safe?" she asked.
By this point my opinion of them started to change.
I asked what she meant. Safe for me? Safe for others? Either way the answer is yes. As long as nobody is trespassing there is no way someone could get hurt. (I fire in a safe direction into a big hillside which is all my land.. so.... very safe)
Dan then said something about the noise and I told him I don't shoot at odd hours. I then pointed out that there is a farmer not far down the road from where they'd build who does a lot of shooting as well.. as well as another guy on the other side of the valley.
Anyway we got off the topic of guns and chatted for a total of 10 minutes probably. I could tell Jan was uncomfortable after my .357 was spotted.
I still think they are basically nice. They don't really come off anti gun, but they definitely aren't comfortable with them.
It turns out this parcel of land isn't theirs yet, but they are seriously considering it. They're staying with an aunt who doesn't live around here but owns the land. I met her once when I was still in high school.
I told them that they might want to find out more about the area before jumping into rural living.
I think it was a good thing they met me. At least now they know beforehand that there are people in the area who shoot.
And what is a Toyota Yaris???An electric car?As Charlie Brown would say:Good grief!!!
