SETTLED IN

It's been about a month now since I started living here and two weeks
since the last of the packing, moving and unpacking process(although
there's still a few things in the back of my car to bring in.) and I'm
starting to settle in here at the new place. Mornings before I go off to
work I sit here eating breakfast and watch the birds and squirrels through
the three living room windows which let in much more light than my old
apartment had. There's a fairly large open green space behind my
building and between it and the next building, large enough to almost
qualify as a meadow. This street, which includes the town high school,
once was farmland and an old stone wall bordered with a good amount
of trees hides the fact that there's a Lowe's on the other side very well.

There's signs on the bulletin board out in the hallway cautioning residents
not to feed the birds or animals. One has a picture of a fox and warns
that feeding animals could attract some that are dangerous. Another sign
has a photo of a wild turkey and reminds us not to approach them
because they ARE wild and not to feed them because they leave a mess
behind them.(well, most animals do!) So far I haven't spotted anything
larger than a pretty fat squirrel, though. Given the amount of vegetation
out there, I'm pretty sure the birds and squirrels aren't in danger of
starving to death for lack of bird-feeders. There's quite a few male
robins rather loudly proclaiming which part of the housing complex is
theirs and a male cardinal flew right past me the other morning as I went
out to work. I wouldn't be surprised to see a deer or two come trotting
through at some point or another since I've seen them in this area several
times over the years.

I've met a few of my neighbors in the building. The elderly lady across
the hall is a bit hard of hearing and when I step outside into the hallway
I can hear her television which is why I know she watches "Matlock"
every morning. My upstairs neighbor and I have talked several times and
it turns out he's a census taker. He's not into genealogy, though, and
doesn't own a computer.

I've only sat outside on my little patio once so far but that's on my agenda
for this afternoon once I get back from the laundromat.

There's a point when a new house or apartment begins to feel like home,
and I'm well past that point now!