Having finally settled into the new house in the greater metropolitan Onalaska, TX area, I've had a chance to meet some neighbors, both human and critter, and to get a sense of what it will be like to live here.
On the human-neighbor front, everyone seems very friendly in these parts, which is what I expected. We've met the neighbors on both sides of us, as well as one or two other people who strolled over to introduce themselves and to say "howdy," including one little old lady who came in and made no bones about "checking us out." I'm not sure if what she was doing would be termed "creeping," or "trolling," as my daughters say. It was really kind of funny.
On the critter-neighbor side, we've become fast friends with Ruby, the neighborhood dog. She belongs to no one, best that we can figure, but people take her to get shots every year, and from what I can tell, she doesn't lack for people to feed her. My wife has jumped on that particular band wagon, and made it a quick priority to get some dog food to keep Ruby in chow. She's a good dog, doesn't bark, and will follow you around, including out onto the boat dock.
There are also all manner of birds, also now being fed by the wife, and at least two squirrels. Squirrel 1 seems to go about his business in a frenzy of activity, and appears to want to have some sort of relationship, partnership or friendship with Squirrel 2. Squirrel 2 isn't having any of it, though. He seems to be rather ornery and spends a lot of time yelling both at Squirrel 1 and whatever birds happen to be wandering by.
The neighbors have warned us of water moccasins, which I do not have much experience with (they not being found in overabundance in the Fort Worth-Dallas area), rattlesnakes (which I have no problem with). Water moccasins, though, have a reputation for Newt Gingrich-like aggressiveness and foul temperament.
The little old lady next door said that she keeps a pump action .22 loaded and on safety just in case. She said that she's had to dispatch one Sssss already that was lurking in her garage.
Of alligators I have no concern. Gators are common to the I-35 corridor east, so I've shared common diggings with them all my life, though I've never knowingly been around one in the wild. Gators and rattle snakes share a common "live and let live" mentality which I'm fond of. On the other hand they are quick to strike and rather vicious when riled, sort of like Rick Perry.
All in all it's been a good move. The biggest traumas have been an antique curio cabinet that suffered a bit of broken glass, and a key that's gone missing from an armoire. But all in all that's tolerable.
More to come...
I could have gone without knowing about the water moccasins.
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