Sunday Morning Invasion

Joe has been doing a lot of minor repairs around the outside of the house in getting ready to move. I am the ladder spotter. I have this ‘unreasonable’ rule that I must be present when he is on the ladder.  I sit nearby while he does the work. I am not working hard. It takes me away from inside chores and I can read. I’m listening for a thud and calling 911 if necessary.

This morning it was not very windy, and the sun was shining and I was sitting in the back yard when the neighbor decided to use his leaf blower. It went on and on and on. Forty-five minutes. I felt myself growing more and more angry that he wasn’t using a rake. The sound of raking leaves is not nearly as intrusive. Finally, it stopped for three or four minutes. Then to my dismay it started again. My head began pounding and even though the leaf blower eventually stopped – the headache did not.

I have lived in this house for most of the past 30 years and this is the first time that the leaf blower sound has invaded my space. I know he uses it on a regular basis. Maybe it was simply because the sun was shining, and it was so peaceful and there have been too few warm sunny mornings that the noise seemed so ugly and jarring this morning.

It seems to me that sometimes tools that are beneficial are also invasive. I imagine my neighbor woke up and thought this was the ideal day to do his yard work. He was right. I only have six Sundays left in this house. I’ll try to remember that and keep the peace with my neighbor.