Deja, Deja, how does your garden grow?

We live in a neighborhood where the houses are all thisclose to each other. What I hate is that my next door neighbors seem to think they have 4 ft. on the side of their house-and that they have a back door opening up to my yard from their porch. The wife loves to hang her clothes out to dry, running the line right across my yard. And right over my garden, taking away needed sunlight to the tomatoes in the back rows. And watering my garden? Um, sure if I wanna hose down her laundry she stuck out there to dry. Granted, she did ask if it was ok THIS year, the prior year she didn't even talk to us. Our daughters got friendly, and Jose and I bought Deja a swing set so the kids could play together. But one day, things changed, and the girls don't see each other anymore. Their house is now up for sale-guess who is cutting that damn line down when they sell? And next summer putting a 6 ft high fence within 2 feet of their house?

The man who lived in the house previously was nuts. We'd just moved in in 2005 and Jose wanted to put up one of those huge metal sun shades that a friend had given him. He likes to work on his cars and friends cars, so thought this would be a way to keep cool while tinkering. As he was putting it up, the man burst out of his house and started screaming (literally) about how he had 2 feet on our side. I stood there with my mouth open, we weren't even within the 2 feet of his house. Jose had just temporarily laid the poles down to sort them out before putting them in the pavement of our driveway with railroad spikes.

So, the next day a man in a suit comes to knock on our door. Seems our friend called the city on us. The man from the city kind of chuckled because he said he didn't usually get calls for temporary sun shades/awnings to be taken down, but since our neighbor was being anal about it, it had to go. He explained a fence max. 6 ft high could be placed within 2 ft. but any other type of structure had the 4 ft setback. Now, Jose could have taken it down and done it within regulations, as he had enough room to do so. But as pissed as he was he tore the whole thing down. Now, I dunno where our neighbors are getting the idea they have 4 feet but they were -NOT- pleased we made a garden. See, she gardens too. And her yard is very small, hardly anything-but in all due respects, she has done a great job. To keep them happy, I said we'd left the 4 feet so they could put their grill there and she could get her clothes. Now that they are selling, I really want to put in a fence before the new neighbors think they can just take over the backyard. And run their clothes across it. I plan on telling her, nicely, that when they move to take the line down or we will, because I don't want other neighbors running clothes lines across our property. Especially since we plan on having a garden again, and I don't want to have to wait until their clothes are dry before I can water my plants. And I really don't wanna look at someones undies hanging from any line, no matter how clean.

So here are pics of the garden. Notice Deja's new haircut. Home done of course-but will be getting it fixed by the beautician later this week. I keep cutting nits out left and right, and did find a few newly hatched buggers last night. Slathered conditioner all over her hair, and suffocated them. Just got back from CVS, bought Nix-gonna try that probably tomorrow as that is supposed to be better than RID. She needs a second treatment, last Monday used RID but she now has a few (1-2) live ones on her I am guessing. I saw one this morning, but couldn't get it-it slipped thru my fingers and the tweezers. Planning to get the flashlight out tonight and wage war. Also, got some nice natural non-toxic stuff if the chemicals don't work and 2 weeks later she gets re-exposed. I've been putting stuff in trash bags, spraying, washing-so dunno what more I can do. I do know she can't seem to sit still, so I think that the live ones that I saw were from me not being able to see the nits because she was moving around and I lost my place in my battle for supremacy.

About the pics: The green house is the neighbors house I was mentioning earlier. The other house is a huge nasty ass apt. house where a slum lord rents to god knows who. In the evenings the smell of them partaking of the herb wafts across my yard, and the music, drinking and merriment always seem to coincide with the first of the month or the full moon-and not necessarily in that order. I've lived in urban areas in Rhode Island, so as long as they keep to themselves I am fine with it. And so far, they haven't bothered me much-I actually think their late night drunken hooting is pretty comical. Anyways, the tomatoes are doing good, radishes as well, cilantro, onions, all thriving-with hubby gone I thought for sure I'd kill everything but so far, so good.