Gotta love thy neighbors

Kicking back in the yard the other day I noticed there was some sort of busy-ness going on in a neighbor’s backyard.

It caught my eye because the neighbor is kind of old yet was running around his backyard like a kid. I watched for a while and came to realize the guy seemed to be playing hide and seek with an imaginary friend.

Well, at least the dude doesn’t spend his days alone.

Since I’ve lived in eastern New Mexico I can say I’ve had my share of “interesting” neighbors.

For instance I was living in Roswell when late one night my dogs were going nuts. I thought someone was trying to get in the backyard.

I stumbled to the patio door and peered through the glass expecting to see someone at the back gate. Instead the dogs were looking up in the sky.

I just followed their line of sight and saw … A guy was pacing back and forth on the roof of the house next door. In his undershorts.

I called the cops.

The dogs quit barking so I guess the guy went away.

Then there was the next-door neighbor who would look in my windows every now and then and yell, “Peek-a-boo!” This might’ve been funny from a 6-year-old but this guy was in his forties.

One afternoon I came home and, for no apparent reason, he had a huge fire going in his backyard. I stopped to watch.

“I love fire,” he said and gave me a big toothy grin.

A week later he flooded his yard. There he stood again.

“I’ve always wanted a pond,” he said. Then he gave me that big ol’ grin again.

Oh well, who am I to judge my fellow man.

After all, I’m the guy who watches ant hills and sticks cameras down rabbit holes.