not all neighbours are nasty

I got a knock on my door this evening from the lady who has moved into the house four doors down. She was seeking some advice about our local window cleaner. My house was a mess, the wee two feral and the animals manic. I first kept her on the door step. Soon though I came to see she was of like mind to myself. She swung it in the end by saying "is it your cockerel I hear crowing? He has such a lovely voice, can I meet them I miss my chickens so much" She grows her own, lives as sustainably and ethically as she can on her little scrap of garden. She even bakes. She thinks life is too short for being houseproud and ironing is taking too much time from gardening and enjoying the world around her. If this breath of fresh air is not a downsizer then she should be. It's no secret that I have been swimming against the tide in the last couple of years with neighbours. She is a beacon of light on this otherwise unethical street and I am glad she made the effort.