Barbeque in the Front Yard
Tips, Tools, Strategies, and Technology
Janis,
Thanks for posting this. i am happy to see the groundswell of this and related activities such as Mark Hopkins' "We Should Know Each Other" efforts. My wife and I moved into a new neighborhood this past winter. In the first 4 months we were there, we didn't meet many people. We did go and knock on all of our neighbor's doors to introduce ourselves and learn their, and their pet's, names. In May and early June, I had about 5 weeks off from work, and I decided I was going to spend the better part of that time in the front yard. I spent the first week sifting rocks and weeds from the yard to create a vegetable and flower garden. Two days after I started, neighbors began to stop and talk briefly with me as I worked. After a month, I had a beautiful garden plot and a checkerboard knowledge of who lived where and what their daily routines were like. Although this was a more passive approach than hosting a neighborhood barbecue, it was a great beginning for a naturally shy person like me. Today, even though I am working weekdays, I reap the rewards of my efforts each time I see a neighbor. We are already planning a neighborhood social in the front yard..if the rain and wind let up before winter.
Matthew