Okay, so, come on now people ...
Just had the strangest thing happen (again!) ... well, about an hour and a half ago now. But I was packing up some things for hubby to take along to work him today when one of my Dobies had asked to go out side ... she obviously was asking for her regular "play" time for the afternoon outdoors. So, as I went to let her out, the other two Dobie girls decided they wanted out also ... absolutely nothing unusual at all.
However, as I turned and closed the door behind me, I noticed an SUV sort of truck sitting in our driveway ... far enough down that they obviously "meant" to be here and continued to sit still in the driveway as I waited to see if they were just doing a turn-around. It was obvious that they'd pulled in from the "toward town" side of the road that goes past our house.I had plenty of time to notice them, watch from the one kitchen window for maybe up to a minute maybe, cross the entire width of the house to the front kitchen door and step out across the front porch to the yard area between the hedges and the house. I obviously startled the woman in the passenger seat WHO WAS HOLDING UP A CAMERA TAKING PICTURES OF OUR HOUSE AND PROPERTY!!!
When I asked if I could help them (a man was in the drivers seat), she began to tell me they were "just taking pictures" and he proclaimed the same from across the vehicle and from behind her as he began backing up to take off down the road. I was able to then quickly project in "of what?" as he was checking for traffic in order to back out. She answered "of the flag. It looks so pretty across the front there" and they proceeded to drive away down the road in the same direction they'd come from. I tried to get the plate number and mind the type vehicle, etc but the distance from this farmhouse out to the driveway is fairly significant. And to try and catch a plate number from my porch as they drove away from me was just simply impossible. But I did mind the type of truck and so forth and a description of the woman as much as I could from the distance; could not see the man driving.
Now, I could certainly understand "sight-seers" since we do live within what's known as the historical Fruitbelt of the county ... between that and the other very significant historical locations in this area, we do get a *lot* of tourism in this general area. But what "bugs" me is: 1) the idea that we live in an old farmhouse, yes, but it's one that is in the process of being painted, the hedges are in obvious need of trim, we currently have a delivered first pile of firewood for the season still sitting in the front yard (near the flag) which has not been stacked on the porch yet, etc ... so it's not necessarily a "tourist attraction" at the moment ... 2) they obviously were taking way more than just one or two "tourist" pictures while in the driveway and the camera was NOT facing only in the direction of the front porch the entire time they were sitting out there ... 3) and this is the clincher ... I walked out and stood exactly where she, herself with the camera in hand, was sitting in our driveway. That was definitely NOT the best shot of the "flag" ... meaning it was blocked by maple tree branches and not in a photogenic view. I walked out on both sides of the house, out in the line of traffic for both positions in a vehicle from either direction. Due to how we've purposely allowed the hedges to grow tall, THERE IS OBSOLUTELY NO WAY they just "happened" to catch the "pretty view" of our flag back behind the hedges and up half-way across the porch! Thoroughly IMPOSSIBLE!
So, what was their true purpose in pulling down in our driveway (far enough to think they were "visitors") and just sit there ... without ever getting out of the vehicle ... or even attempting to ask permission ... and take AT LEAST several photos of our PRIVATE HOME AND PROPERTY?!
What's really annoying is that this is not the first time something like this has happened ... a couple/few months ago I caught someone else sitting in a vehicle blocking across the top of the driveway and they too were taking photographs pointing the camera down the driveway toward the area where we park our vehicles. They took off before I could even approach them to inquire.
Now, I do here and there get people who stop by to ask if I would allow them to see my goats or whatnot. And I have absolutely no problem with that sort of thing ... I actually enjoy showing off all my critters and sharing about the farm and letting kids pet the goats and play with the geese and the chickens and all. That's actually fun.
But who in their right mind would believe it's perfectly okay to pull down into someone's private driveway and just sit there and take photographs of their PRIVATE HOME AND PROPERTY ... all without even beginning to attempt to ask permission or even so much as just simply acknowledging they are on the property? And best yet, when someone comes out of the house or barn, they take off down the road, getting away long before you could even possibly get to them to even just talk.
And these are just the two I've caught in most recent time. I have to wonder how many I've not seen or have been here while hubby and I are out running errands.
This is all beginning to get a bit weird.
And if you're one who has come to be any somewhat familiar with my life-stories, you will fully understand my apprehension about all this.
However, as I turned and closed the door behind me, I noticed an SUV sort of truck sitting in our driveway ... far enough down that they obviously "meant" to be here and continued to sit still in the driveway as I waited to see if they were just doing a turn-around. It was obvious that they'd pulled in from the "toward town" side of the road that goes past our house.I had plenty of time to notice them, watch from the one kitchen window for maybe up to a minute maybe, cross the entire width of the house to the front kitchen door and step out across the front porch to the yard area between the hedges and the house. I obviously startled the woman in the passenger seat WHO WAS HOLDING UP A CAMERA TAKING PICTURES OF OUR HOUSE AND PROPERTY!!!
When I asked if I could help them (a man was in the drivers seat), she began to tell me they were "just taking pictures" and he proclaimed the same from across the vehicle and from behind her as he began backing up to take off down the road. I was able to then quickly project in "of what?" as he was checking for traffic in order to back out. She answered "of the flag. It looks so pretty across the front there" and they proceeded to drive away down the road in the same direction they'd come from. I tried to get the plate number and mind the type vehicle, etc but the distance from this farmhouse out to the driveway is fairly significant. And to try and catch a plate number from my porch as they drove away from me was just simply impossible. But I did mind the type of truck and so forth and a description of the woman as much as I could from the distance; could not see the man driving.
Now, I could certainly understand "sight-seers" since we do live within what's known as the historical Fruitbelt of the county ... between that and the other very significant historical locations in this area, we do get a *lot* of tourism in this general area. But what "bugs" me is: 1) the idea that we live in an old farmhouse, yes, but it's one that is in the process of being painted, the hedges are in obvious need of trim, we currently have a delivered first pile of firewood for the season still sitting in the front yard (near the flag) which has not been stacked on the porch yet, etc ... so it's not necessarily a "tourist attraction" at the moment ... 2) they obviously were taking way more than just one or two "tourist" pictures while in the driveway and the camera was NOT facing only in the direction of the front porch the entire time they were sitting out there ... 3) and this is the clincher ... I walked out and stood exactly where she, herself with the camera in hand, was sitting in our driveway. That was definitely NOT the best shot of the "flag" ... meaning it was blocked by maple tree branches and not in a photogenic view. I walked out on both sides of the house, out in the line of traffic for both positions in a vehicle from either direction. Due to how we've purposely allowed the hedges to grow tall, THERE IS OBSOLUTELY NO WAY they just "happened" to catch the "pretty view" of our flag back behind the hedges and up half-way across the porch! Thoroughly IMPOSSIBLE!
So, what was their true purpose in pulling down in our driveway (far enough to think they were "visitors") and just sit there ... without ever getting out of the vehicle ... or even attempting to ask permission ... and take AT LEAST several photos of our PRIVATE HOME AND PROPERTY?!
What's really annoying is that this is not the first time something like this has happened ... a couple/few months ago I caught someone else sitting in a vehicle blocking across the top of the driveway and they too were taking photographs pointing the camera down the driveway toward the area where we park our vehicles. They took off before I could even approach them to inquire.
Now, I do here and there get people who stop by to ask if I would allow them to see my goats or whatnot. And I have absolutely no problem with that sort of thing ... I actually enjoy showing off all my critters and sharing about the farm and letting kids pet the goats and play with the geese and the chickens and all. That's actually fun.
But who in their right mind would believe it's perfectly okay to pull down into someone's private driveway and just sit there and take photographs of their PRIVATE HOME AND PROPERTY ... all without even beginning to attempt to ask permission or even so much as just simply acknowledging they are on the property? And best yet, when someone comes out of the house or barn, they take off down the road, getting away long before you could even possibly get to them to even just talk.
And these are just the two I've caught in most recent time. I have to wonder how many I've not seen or have been here while hubby and I are out running errands.
This is all beginning to get a bit weird.
And if you're one who has come to be any somewhat familiar with my life-stories, you will fully understand my apprehension about all this.