"Good fences make good neighbors"

"The Mending Wall" has long been a favorite Robert Frost poem of mine. And while Mr. Frost may indeed be correct about the relationship between fences and neighbors, as a mother of a toddler, I can tell you what fences are truly for!

When we moved into this house, we knew a fence would eventually be in our future. In our third summer, we have finally had one installed. And it was just in the nick of time, too! Last week, I left Devin on the deck to get a drink of water from inside only to find a kind neighbor escorting him back to our house after running into the street! During rush-hour traffic!!!

Prior to the fence installation, the view from our back yard looked like this:


We'd had some bushes at the end of the driveway that Ian removed in anticipation of the fence's installation. But even with the bushes there, it was an open invitation to run into the street. And every driver passing our house (there are many) could see straight into the backyard.

Now, our view of the street from our back yard looks like this:


The gate can be pad-locked from the outside if we go on vacation.




And, from the front, you see this (the recycle stand and garbage will soon be moved):


The end of the fence still needs a good prickley bush to really keep unwanted visitors out (or industrious children in).


But we are THRILLED to have some new privacy and security in the back yard!!!