Design Part 2 and Neighbor Relations

We met with the architects yesterday to firm up our design plans. While I am pretty committed to preserving the original features of the house (the few that remain), we have decided to remove one of the 3 chimneys to get more usable space on the first floor. The particular chimney doesn't have a fireplace front and in fact we didn't realize it existed at all until after we purchased the house, as the chimney stack is in a corner of the roof that is not visible unless in the farthest corner of our back yard. So now we wait on revised drawings, which we will then use to meet with contractors to quote the work.

Regarding neighbor relations, I was quite stressed about our new neighbors to the west. We had not met them yet. They just moved in last week and 0ur fence door (which was off its hinges) kept being moved to block their side-yard. We'd put it back to keep Wiley in the yard, and next time at the house, it is back in our neighbor's yard. Mary knocked on their door to talk to them about it but nobody answered. Well, we took the door inside to fix the hinges, and I was afraid that their dogs might get loose so I put up some scrap wood to block the side yard. The next day the material was thrown into our yard. Very passive-agressive, by appearance.

Anyway, Mary left a note explaining our dog and the need for the fence door. And last night the neighbors were outside and we met them and their 3 miniature pinschers (think toy sized dobermans). And it was completely cool. They seem nice, were friendly and said it was the management co. that kept moving the fence. I think I am a bit gun-shy of bad neighbors after the 3+ years of living with a drunk flop-house next door (which ended 3 years ago, thankfully). I don't know how else to say it, but being a good neighbor and having good neighbor relations is important to me.

And on the good neighbor relations front, the Renos stopped over last night to tour the destruction and drink a beer. Now that's what good neighbors are all about.