Making Sport For Our Neighbours

We have the most wonderful neighbours. It has grown and grown over the three years that we've lived side by side. We are two couples. He's the same age as my husband, and she is the same age as me (give or take a year or two). Our lives could not be more different, but somehow our souls met and we've found kindredness.

I was not more aware of this than yesterday when we had contact with each other no less than three times.

They popped over for something early in the morning when I was still in my pyjamas, and their little nephew who is staying for the holidays ends up staying and playing with our kids for an hour or so.

I was in the middle of doing some very important sewing later in the day, when I found out that my iron had died. I ring up my neighbour. She never irons and has two irons. I send my son over to borrow one of them for a few days.

My kids take the little nephew home across the fields and over the fence.

Then at 10.30 last night, as pre-arranged, they drive into our driveway with spotlights and a gun. Another hare down. Our acreage has been Hare Heaven lately, and they are eating our trees and vegetables. It was time to deal to them and our neighbours have been getting scant sport over in their well-picked-over paddocks, so we offered ours. Texting follows with the nightly quota.

It is a fine thing to have such good neighbours. I do not take it for granted. We are swapping stuff with them all the time . . . seeds, trailers, lawn mowers, food, bug spray, heaters, even chooks. We meet often for coffee, and have BBQ's together. She and I go shopping and have regular walks and long chats by the letterbox at the gate. She teases me for being 'too nice'. I tease her for teaching me how not to be.

Yes, it's a fine thing.

So long as they are living next door, I don't want to move away from here.