Cooperation among your neighbors?

[pinkfox]

being "new" to town i only realy know my direct next door neightbor...

the one across the street im lucky if i can get a wave from lol

however in an emergency...
i dunno, i get a feeling it would be less "cooperation" and more "use the people that have stuff" my direct next door neighbor has offered me overflow form his garden many time, and i often give him anything extra i get that i can give (ie a good deal on hotdogs ill give him a few packs ect) BUT i cant help but think that in an emergency he be more than happy to take and less happy about giving...
the one acrss the street, i ust ont know, i dont think shed be interested in any kind of working relationship...and hasnt even offered more than a hello to the new neighbor ya know?!

i think in an emergency for the most part i would have to make do with a very small social network, but noone realy 'close by"

 

[terri9630]

being "new" to town i only realy know my direct next door neightbor...

the one across the street im lucky if i can get a wave from lol

however in an emergency...
i dunno, i get a feeling it would be less "cooperation" and more "use the people that have stuff" my direct next door neighbor has offered me overflow form his garden many time, and i often give him anything extra i get that i can give (ie a good deal on hotdogs ill give him a few packs ect) BUT i cant help but think that in an emergency he be more than happy to take and less happy about giving...
the one acrss the street, i ust ont know, i dont think shed be interested in any kind of working relationship...and hasnt even offered more than a hello to the new neighbor ya know?!

i think in an emergency for the most part i would have to make do with a very small social network, but noone realy 'close by"

Were the same way. All our neighbors will wait for Fema and think were foolish for having chickens and a garden. We've made it a point to tell them when they ask for stuff that the heat has pretty much killed the garden and the price of chicken feed has caused us to sell the birds. The garden IS suffering from the heat and we DID sell off the older birds....... So we were telling the truth..

 

[moolie]

Joel, that wedding sounds just like ours--my Mother-in-law made my dress and my bridesmaids' dresses, our friends helped us decorated the hall (Ukrainian Cultural Center), and our dinner was all home made by us and our landladies (we were both students in Victoria at the time). My Mom made a traditional fruit cake for our wedding cake, and I iced it. We hired a band through the Ukrainian Cultural Center, bunch of older guys who just loved to make music for people to dance to. All our friends and family said it was the best wedding they'd been to in years and people still talk about it.

Everything, from the home-made dresses/tux rental, to flowers (we did our own), to band and hall rental, plus food only cost us just under $2000 (mind you that was 20 years ago). And everyone who helped us pull it off had a wonderful time--it was exactly how (I think) a wedding should be--the coming together of two families

We've now been in this house for over 4 years and we know several neighbors much better. During our first day here one neighbor brought over a basket of muffins, another brought a bunch of flowers and a "welcome to the neighborhood" card. It took a while to get to know people beyond those first introductions but now we chat with many people up and down the block. We get compliments from the neighbors who can see our veggie garden progress, we always chat with the regular dog-walkers, we have helped and received help from various neighbors (e.g. watering and mail collecting for people who've been away on holiday, same favours returned, help from a neighbor when hubs was working on the car one time, etc.) and great conversations over the fence. We've come to like and appreciate all of our neighbors, and know they are all people who can pull together for each other--we really like it here.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Not sure how "depending on the neighbors" would play out here in a time of real need.
I've only got two neighbors close enough to see from my house.
The one below us is my uncle, lives alone, works at a public job so only helps a little in the garden sometimes and will help me catch a cow if it gets loose or something. He was raised in the same darn house I was and won't even drink raw milk. Got city-fied in his old age I guess. But if it got bad.... yeah, I can count on him to pitch in.
My other neighbor just moved in a year or so ago. City folk. Nice couple with about 10 kids... all look about 9 months apart. Very polite and seem to be nice people. Totally lost in a country sitting though, so I sure wouldn't expect much from them in an emergency.
We have neighbors a little further up the road... might be some who would be a help and cooperate. I'd really hate to have to depend on them though.

I do have a few people that live fairly close like Wannabafree that I might could do some bartering with. If there was no fuel though I'd have to saddle the mare to get there and I'll admit.... my hinney wouldn't thank me at my age for a ride like that.

My dream has always been to have a community of folks who could work together to build a mutual support system in a time of need whether it was a governmental break down, a natural calamity like tornado or drought.... That's another thread though I guess.

 

[Pirtykitty]

Don't know about my neighbors for sure.. The ones across the street we trade some things back and forth ( I send them my extra eggs, and produce) and when their fruit trees ( peach and fig ) have fruit they send us some.. they have also given me jars of home made jelly.. I also told them about food storage and they are interested...

I mentioned food storage to neighbors next door and told aboutCommunity Emergency Prepardness Fair we had at church two weeks ago but they didn't come..

I have also told several family members to start putting food back.. my sister in law said it was too much trouble.. Not sure what my 4 sisters think.

 

[Icu4dzs]

Not sure how "depending on the neighbors" would play out here in a time of real need...
My dream has always been to have a community of folks who could work together to build a mutual support system in a time of need whether it was a governmental break down, a natural calamity like tornado or drought.... That's another thread though I guess.

My guess is that you will be pleasantl surprised that your neighbors will "rise to the occasion". It is a funny thing, but we Americans have a "bone" deep inside that wakes up in times of severe adversity. Strangers on the other hand may not be as dependable and will need to be carefully scrutinized but neighbors are neighbors. The ones with 10 kids are solid folks.
I remember when I was in Viet Nam, the marines acted like spoiled children because we went for several weeks/months without any enemy action, but then one day it started and they instantly turned into the most fearsome warriors our country has ever seen. Most of us are like that. We sit back and look like we are "uninterested" but let something happen to our family or friends and we "turn" into that fierce group of people who have NEVER been defeated in war.
No doubt, this will be the case when the time comes for you.
JMHO
Trim sends
//BT//

 

[terri9630]

Not sure how "depending on the neighbors" would play out here in a time of real need...
My dream has always been to have a community of folks who could work together to build a mutual support system in a time of need whether it was a governmental break down, a natural calamity like tornado or drought.... That's another thread though I guess.

My guess is that you will be pleasantl surprised that your neighbors will "rise to the occasion". It is a funny thing, but we Americans have a "bone" deep inside that wakes up in times of severe adversity. Strangers on the other hand may not be as dependable and will need to be carefully scrutinized but neighbors are neighbors. The ones with 10 kids are solid folks.
I remember when I was in Viet Nam, the marines acted like spoiled children because we went for several weeks/months without any enemy action, but then one day it started and they instantly turned into the most fearsome warriors our country has ever seen. Most of us are like that. We sit back and look like we are "uninterested" but let something happen to our family or friends and we "turn" into that fierce group of people who have NEVER been defeated in war.
No doubt, this will be the case when the time comes for you.
JMHO
Trim sends
//BT//

Thats a nice thought but my neighbors have already proved its not so. We used to have neighbors that helped out during emergencies, then hubby's job moved us. Those neighbors kept my horses from being stolen while I was moving a load of furniture from S. Tx to NM. The ones here want my horses gone.

 

[Emerald]

Not sure how "depending on the neighbors" would play out here in a time of real need...
My dream has always been to have a community of folks who could work together to build a mutual support system in a time of need whether it was a governmental break down, a natural calamity like tornado or drought.... That's another thread though I guess.

My guess is that you will be pleasantl surprised that your neighbors will "rise to the occasion". It is a funny thing, but we Americans have a "bone" deep inside that wakes up in times of severe adversity. Strangers on the other hand may not be as dependable and will need to be carefully scrutinized but neighbors are neighbors. The ones with 10 kids are solid folks.
I remember when I was in Viet Nam, the marines acted like spoiled children because we went for several weeks/months without any enemy action, but then one day it started and they instantly turned into the most fearsome warriors our country has ever seen. Most of us are like that. We sit back and look like we are "uninterested" but let something happen to our family or friends and we "turn" into that fierce group of people who have NEVER been defeated in war.
No doubt, this will be the case when the time comes for you.
JMHO
Trim sends
//BT//

Thats a nice thought but my neighbors have already proved its not so. We used to have neighbors that helped out during emergencies, then hubby's job moved us. Those neighbors kept my horses from being stolen while I was moving a load of furniture from S. Tx to NM. The ones here want my horses gone.

That sucks Terri If I was your neighbor I'd pester ya to let me ride them! I miss having family and friends who have them..
But today.. I needed a set of canning tongs as, of course, mine took today to run away! so I went to the neighbor lady. I can't say as we have been friends.. there were some rocky moments in our past but the last 6 or 7 years we are becoming much closer and friendlier. but while we sat on her porch swing and chatted she doesn't can.. but We did get to discuss her hubby and son maybe getting a nice fat doe for us this fall..
I have to say that other than a couple of renters in our small town, no matter how we feel about one another we all pull together when weather/fire/missing child/cancer benefit need to be done we all pitch in and do it quite cheerfully. I'd like to think if it went longer than our longest power outage(about 12 days to 2 weeks) we would pull together as a good community.
A few folks used to joke about me having a hidden bomb shelter but most know my food allergies and health problems so really don't pay any mind to my buying things in bulk and growing heirloom gardens yadda yadda. Some are growing gardens of their own with seeds from me and others that they are now trying.. Most of them are related to farmers that are also our neighbors. Why.. you would almost think we are like the Hutterite colony show. Almost everyone is related to someone.. Even the above mentioned neighbor lady is married to what ended up being a cousin of mine.. Both of our families decided to do their ancestry.. he and I have mutual Great grandparents.. (well kinda) his great great great grandmother is my grandfathers oldest sister.. My gramps was the baby of the family. how small is the world anyhoo..

 

[Candy]

SS people around here are the norm. I dont think we will have much of a problem getting together more if it was needed. We just bought a hay cutter and a hay bailer, in on the deal 50/50 with a neighbor and we purchased it from our other neighbor who had become too allergice to grass cutting.. but he will help with repairs, as part of the deal. This is gonna save us huge in many ways.

 

[Mattemma]

I only have the elderly neighbor across the street that gardens,cans,and trades with me.There is a young lady 2 doors down that started to garden,but she pretty much ignores any hellos or waves.Oh well.The rest do not do anything around the yard.Most have yappy little dogs.Not sure how helpful any of them would be.My fenced yard with chickens,rabbits,fruit trees,and gardens would be tempting to others in a time of need.

My friend believes in sharing and working together with neighbors.None of her neighbors garden eithers,so I am not sure what they will really have to offer when the time comes. I don't mind trading say some eggs for veggies,but giving away for free just to be nice would not be my choice.