Our Quiet Country Setting...NOT

There was only one small mound of snow visible on my morning drive today. Nice. Except that now the snow is gone, the disgusting litter is revealed, along with frost heaves, torn up embankments, missing curbs, potholes, broken signs and alas, yard ornaments left over from the holidays.

Yesterday I decided to enjoy a soak in the hot tub with my book, a favorite activity for me. After living in Norwich atop a hill overlooking a major intersection, I had been ready for the quiet of a more rural setting when we chose this house. Silly me. Our first year or two was relatively quiet. A neighbor on the other side of the point, (on the right if you are looking in the direction of the lake) was in the process of finishing his very large log cabinish home. It wasn't too bad. But then another neighbor decided to renovate his cottage, making it into a year-round home - again on the point. And a third. Again, the sounds of construction were not altogether too bad since there is a hill between our home and the point.

At the same time, the owners of the cottage next to our immediate neighbors (to the left if you are facing the lake) started the demolition of that structure and the construction of one three times as large. Noisy, noisy, noisy. I remember getting a day off from work specifically to spend sitting on the beach and relaxing, then being frustrated by the noises - the WORST being the back up beeping of the big machinery. And then another neighbor three houses down started his project - it was HUGE and included major landscaping as well as demolition and construction. Since this man, who is really a wonderful man and good neighbor, was the general contractor, it took several summers, and he still isn't moved in. But the work going on now is the quiet work, and nearly complete. And the other house on our short, dead-end road built a new garage.

What is going on now? Another new house is being built on the point. They spent the fall/winter cutting trees and now have been working on the foundation, using a BIG backhoe, and a REALLY BIG dump truck, leaving to dump the load and coming back to refill, coming and going, coming and going And our immediate neighbor's house sold, so the work is starting on that one. Another neighbor at the top of the road is clear cutting their trees.

So what was I listening to yesterday, "relaxing" in the hot tub with my delicious book? To the right, the glorious sounds of a foundation being dug and chainsaws cutting trees. To the left, a generator. I was in an audio sandwich of the blood-pressure raising roar of machines.

For the last several years I have been telling myself to be patient, the construction should be over soon, it HAS to be. I'm telling myself the same thing this year. I know we are facing another summer filled with the sounds of construction and the activity of trucks and such, but surely there can't be much more. Although there is still an empty building lot a little down the lake that is up for sale. Just remembered that. Oh well.

Yours truly,
the Elf.