How To Keep Your Home Safe While You Are Away

In my community, we have a neighborhood watch. It is a relatively safe place as friends and neighbors look after each other. Most residents are armed, so it would be foolish for a burglar to try to rob someone while they are at home.

Whenever I travel, I have neighbors and friends keep an eye on the ol' homestead. I do likewise for them.

Keeping one's sticks and bricks abode safe is the topic of an article in today's newsletter of RV Travel. 

It begins with:

We all take steps to keep ourselves and our RV safe while on the road. But how many take extra steps to deter burglars from our homes while on the road?

Pages have been written here and elsewhere about staying safe from crime while RVing.  However, little has been written about how to deter burglars from burglarizing your home in your absence while RVing. Full-timers no longer have to worry about a sticks-and-bricks house, but what about the rest of us? Personally, my home has been burglarized twice over the past 40 years while my wife and I have been traveling. After the last burglary, I studied up and doubled down on the steps I take to deter burglars from my home. So far, so good.

Here is what I learned and the steps I take to deter burglars:

To read more, go here. 

Coyotes Again

Above, the coyote hunt of September 2018.

Around 3:10 this morning, the howls of one or more coyotes were heard. Besides myself, one other neighbor also heard them.

They seemed to come from the utility road behind my property and near Scott Williams's place. A little over 3 years ago (September 2018, to be exact), we sat (with a third neighbor) at the utility road behind my property with rifles for a few days.as we had problems with coyotes coming into the community. 

We didn't get any, although one neighbor managed to get off a shot at one across the arroyo but missed. 

It looks like we'll have to do it again. Sitting out in the cold temperatures doesn't sound too thrilling, though.

House Across The Street For Sale (There Goes The Neighborhood)

Above, Rodney Dangerfield's headstone. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yikes! There goes the neighborhood!

I was up pouring some coffee when I looked out of my kitchen window this morning and saw what looked like a "for sale" sign in front of Betty and Bo's house across the street (not bad for my near-sighted eyes without my glasses).

I got out my binoculars and, sure enough, that's what it was.

Above, the end of a double-rainbow at Betty and Bo's across the street. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Out of curiosity, I took a look at Zillow to see the listing (if it was up) and found it.

Here's the listing: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/29-W-Blue-Cedar-Jamestown-NM-87347/2078806807_zpid/

It is a very nice home, well-maintained, a two-acre lot and with a huge garage. I'd hate to see Betty and Bo leave.

It was definitely one of those "WTF moments".

Gave The Gelding Next Door Some Carrots

Above, the horse backed into a far corner of his corral when I approached. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today, for the first time, I brought some carrots over to the gelding next door.

Above, when I tossed the first carrot, he came forward to eat it. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

He is leery of people and went to a far corner of his corral as I approached. In contrast, Christmas (the other horse I give carrots to) may be at a far end of her corral and will come over when I approach with carrots. She's used to people and she knows me now. She lets me pet her.

There's no chance of that with the gelding, at least at the present time. According to his owner, he bites. He'll have to be broken of that behavior.

Above, eventually he'll lose his fear. He was a wild horse, according to my neighbor. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In time, he will lose his fear and will come over for his treats. Seeing how he was afraid to walk over, I just tossed the carrots to him. He walked to them and ate them. Maybe, the more I bring him carrots, the less fearful he will be.

But today was the first step. 

A Couple of Neighbors

Here's a couple of locals who live along Whispering Cedars Road, about a half mile from my home:

Neighboring Property Sold

Above, the house and property next to the "Barking Spider Acre" has just been sold. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

My neighbor to the west announced yesterday that the property has been sold. Now the family can concentrate on life's further adventures.

I noticed the other day that the realty "for sale" sign in front of the property was gone. Because of that, I wasn't too surprised about the announcement.

Above, I had a feeling that putting up the sign would help in getting the property sold! Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Hopefully, the buyers will be good neighbors.

I guess that no longer makes me the "newbie" on the street.

Got Pot?

Above, the Navajo pot I picked up today in Continental Divide. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today has been a relaxing day without anything in particular on the agenda. Such is life in retirement in general.

It started out with hanging out with four fellow residents of the Jamestown community. We met up at Denny's Restaurant at the Flying J. The group usually has their "breakfast club" meet-up about 5-6 days a week.

We were later joined by another member of the community (who is also another fairly recent California transplant) and his wife. I am getting to know more people here than I did in Tarzana. They are all nice people and we're all in the same age group.

Following the gathering, I headed over to the post office and had a package waiting for me. From there, I brought The Beast over to a gas pump and filled up its gas tank.

I decided to head over to Ortega's Indian Market at the Continental Divide (only 8 miles away). There, I picked up a small Navajo pottery item that was marked down 40%. I put it up on the landing that divides the kitchen and the living room. The space cried out for something. I will be on the lookout a larger piece of Navajo pottery to put with it.

We're supposed to be getting another thunderstorm later this afternoon. It is hot and humid right now.

Met Another Neighbor

Above, the neighbor I met today lives in the home at left. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Finally, I've met another neighbor of mine.

His name is Bo and lives in a white house across the road from me. We haven't met until now because they were either gone somewhere for days or the weather was too cold and snowy for outside roaming around. He was out getting rid of Russian thistles (he calls them "alligators" because, as he said, they'll get you with their thorns).

He's another retiree (used to deliver piping) down in El Paso and has lived in Jamestown since 2006. He used to work near Roswell and said that the town gets very crowded during their UFO Festivals. He said that the location of the UFO crash is not the actual one (says the actual location is closer to Corona). They locals there, he said, just claim the location that's marked is for the tourists.

He recommended the Badlands Grill steakhouse in Gallup.

I gave him an open invitation to come on over for a beer.